Design for Ceiling Decoration
Classification
interiors
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-1473
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Barberi (1746–1809), a prominent Italian architect and designer active in Rome during the late 18th century, created this *Design for Ceiling Decoration* amid the neoclassical revival. Trained in the vibrant artistic circles of papal Rome, Barberi specialized in elegant interior schemes, blending classical antiquity with refined ornamentation. This preparatory drawing, classified under interiors, likely served as a blueprint for opulent ceiling treatments in palatial homes or public spaces, showcasing his mastery of symmetrical motifs, stucco work, and gilded details. In the context ...