One Quarter of a Design for Corner of a Wall or a Ceiling
Medium
Pen and black ink, brush and gray wash, over leadpoint or graphite, some ruled and compass construction
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 7/16 x 8 1/8 in. (29.1 x 20.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1965
Accession Number
65.653.18
Art Historical Context
This delicate 18th-century drawing Piedmont, Italy, captures *One Quarter of a Design for of a Wall or a*, a preparatory sketch for ornate architectural decoration. Created anonymously between 1700 and 1780, it represents one symmetrical quadrant of a larger, likely intended for the lavish interiors of palaces, villas, or churches in the Savoy court region. Such designs were essential in the Baroque era's emphasis on grandeur and illusionistic effects, transforming flat surfaces into dynamic, three-dimensional experiences. The artist employed meticulous techniques: faint leadpoint or graphite...