Fairy Castle in Landscape
n.d.
Medium
Pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, on tan laid paper, laid down on tan laid paper
Dimensions
12.3 × 17.5 cm (4 7/8 × 6 15/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
85680
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Prints and Drawings collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, *Fairy Castle in Landscape* by Alfonso Parigi (1606–1656) enchants with its whimsical vision of a fantastical turreted edifice rising amid a serene, overgrown terrain. This intimate drawing, measuring just 12.3 × 17.5 cm, captures the Italian architect's flair for imaginative architecture, likely conceived as a theatrical set design or architectural capriccio during the Baroque era in Florence. Executed in pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash on tan laid paper—then laid down for preservation—Parigi employs d...