Elevation of a bell tower
Classification
architecture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-1243
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Barberi, a prominent Italian architect active during the late 18th century (1746–1809), created this *Elevation of a Bell Tower* as a precise architectural drawing. Born in Rome, Barberi was renowned for his neoclassical designs, blending classical Roman elements with emerging Enlightenment ideals of symmetry and proportion. This work, part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, exemplifies the meticulous planning drawings essential to grand ecclesiastical architecture, where bell towers served as both functional landmarks and symbols of community faith. An "elevation" ...