Project for a Rectangular Ceiling with Papal Coat of Arms (recto); Design for a Courtyard (verso)
1558–1601
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush with brown and gray wash, ruling and compass work, over traces of black chalk
Dimensions
15 5/16 × 20 15/16 in. (38.9 × 53.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1971
Accession Number
1971.513.44
Tags
Art Historical Context
This double-sided drawing by Giovanni Alberti, an Italian architect active in late 16th-century Rome (c. 1558–1601), showcases the meticulous planning behind Renaissance-era ecclesiastical and architectural projects. On the recto, Alberti presents a "Project for a Rectangular Ceiling Papal Coat of Arms featuring ornate decorative schemes centered on the papal emblem—a symbol of Vatican authority during the Counter-Reformation. The verso reveals a "Design for a Courtyard," complete with human figures, suggesting a harmonious outdoor space blending utility and grandeur. Crafted with pen and bro...