Design for an Altar
Medium
architecture, interiors
Classification
architecture, interiors
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors
Accession Number
1901-39-1466
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Design for an Altar** by Leonardo Scaglia invites us into the intricate world of 17th ecclesiastical architecture. A French artist active in Italy the 1640s and 1650s, Scaglia this design around 1640–50, the era's passion for opulent church interiors. Classified as architecture and interiors, likely served as a preparatory drawing or plan for a sacred altar space, essential for visualizing grandeur before construction. In the Baroque period, altar designs like this were pivotal, blending artistry with religious fervor amid the Counter-Reformation. Italian churches demanded dramatic, immersi...