Four Designs for the Frame of a Tablet
1780–1800
Medium
architecture
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
1938-88-1893
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Barberi, a prominent Italian architect of the late 18th (1746–1809), created *Four Designs for the Frame a Tablet* between 1780 and 1800. These intricate architectural drawings showcase Barberi's expertise in ornamental design, likely intended for framing a commemorative or religious tablet—a common feature in grand ecclesiastical or civic interiors of the era. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's architecture collection, acquired through museum purchases and the Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund they exemplify the meticulous planning behind neoclassical decoration. Barberi, active i...