Drawing After and Architectural Fragment of a Coffered Ceiling
19th century
Medium
Graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 12 x 8 in. (30.5 x 20.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Regina Slatkin, 1963
Accession Number
63.712.56
Art Historical Context
This delicate 19th-century drawing created by an anonymous French artist captures the intricate details of an architectural fragment a coffered ceiling—a of classical design featuring recessed, often ornamented panels that add depth and grandeur to interiors. Such motifs, rooted in ancient Roman and Renaissance architecture, were avidly studied in 19th-century France amid a revival of historicism and neoclassicism. Architects, students, and artists frequently made "drawings after" originals to document and preserve these elements, blending education with admiration for the past. Rendered in g...
About the Artist
Anonymous, French, 19th century · 1800–1900
**Anonymous, French, 19th Century (ca. 1800–1900)** The artist cataloged as Anonymous, French, 19th century embodies the enigmatic yet essential contributions of unidentified creators to France's vibrant 19th-century art world. Active roughly between 1800 and 1900, this figure—or potentially collective workshop—produced a diverse array of works amid the nation's transition from Neoclassicism thro...