Design for the Decoration of the Semi-Dome of a Church Apse
ca. 1545–55
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, over black chalk and ruling in black chalk
Dimensions
sheet: 19 13/16 x 13 1/4 in. (50.4 x 33.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Katrin Bellinger, 2008
Accession Number
2008.178.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
Battista Franco, a prominent Venetian artist active in the mid-16th century, this intricate *Design for the Decoration of Semi-Dome of a Apse* around 1545–55. Franco, known for his engravings and paintings blending Venetian colorism with Roman monumentality, here showcases his skill as a draftsman. The drawing depicts an elaborate architectural scheme for a church apse curved semicircular space at the altar end—filled with niches, columns, and decorative motifs suited for fresco or mosaic adornment, reflecting the Renaissance fusion of architecture and illusionistic painting. Executed on a ge...
About the Artist
Battista Franco · 1510–1561
Battista Franco, known as il Semolei, was born in Venice around 1510, though his career unfolded largely in Rome and at the courts of central and northern Italy. He came to Rome in his twenties and immediately fell under two powerful spells: the inexhaustible riches of classical antiquity and the overwhelming presence of Michelangelo. Franco spent years making drawings after ancient sculptures and...