Design for the Decoration of the Corner of a Ceiling
17th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash and watercolor, over traces of graphite underdrawing and ruled construction
Dimensions
sheet: 5 1/4 x 4 5/8 in. (13.4 x 11.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1952
Accession Number
52.570.42
Art Historical Context
This delicate 17th-century drawing created by an anonymous Italian artist showcases a design for the ornate corner of a ceiling, exemplifying the grandeur of Baroque-era architecture. During Italy's Baroque period, artists and architects crafted illusionistic decorations to dazzle viewers in palaces and churches, transforming flat surfaces into dramatic, heavenly expanses. Though unattributed, such preparatory sketches were vital tools for master builders, capturing intricate motifs like scrolling foliage, putti, or architectural frames that would later be realized in fresco or stucco. Execut...