Design for a Wall Fountain
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and light brown wash, over leadpoint, with ruled construction and framing outlines
Dimensions
14 5/8 x 9 3/4 in. (37.2 x 24.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1965
Accession Number
65.653.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Design for a Wall Fountain hails from the vibrant Lombard school of 16th-century Italy (ca. 1550–1620), a region renowned for its fusion of Renaissance elegance and classical motifs. Created by an anonymous artist, it captures the era's fascination with grand garden architecture, where wall fountains served as both functional water features and ornate centerpieces in villas and palazzos. The drawing reflects Lombardy’s tradition of precise, decorative designs inspired by antiquity, blending utility with artistic flourish. Rendered in pen and brown ink with brush and light brow...