Design for ceiling decoration
1746â1809
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
1938-88-1869
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Barberi (1746–1809), a distinguished Italian architect and designer active in, crafted this *Design for Ceiling Decoration* his prolific career bridging the late Baroque and Neoclassical periods. As a professor at the Accademia di San Luca,i specialized in elegant interior schemes that revived classical motifs—think garlands, medallions, and arabesques—for the grand palaces of the Roman elite. This preparatory drawing captures his vision for overhead ornamentation, transforming ceilings into dramatic canvases of architectural splendor. Classified under interiors in the Smithsonian Co...