Design for a Ceiling
17th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink and gray wash
Dimensions
sheet: 5 9/16 x 6 5/8 in. (14.2 x 16.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.509
Art Historical Context
This delicate "Design for a Ceiling," created by an anonymous Italian artist in the 17th century, offers a glimpse into the opulent world of Baroque architecture and decoration. During this era, Italy's churches, palaces, and villas featured lavish ceiling frescoes and stucco work, blending illusionistic painting with sculpted ornament to create dramatic, heavenly illusions. As a preparatory drawing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, it likely served as a blueprint for such grandeur, showcasing the meticulous planning behind these immersive spaces. Rendered in...