Sarcophagi
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
1938-88-1395
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Barberi, a Italian architect and designer (1746–1809), created *Sarcophagi* 1780, during the height of the Neoclassical. This period saw artists and architects drawing inspiration from ancient Roman and Greek antiquity, reviving classical forms to evoke grandeur and permanence. Barberi's work reflects this fascination, likely presenting ornate coffin designs that blend architectural precision with decorative elegance—hallmarks of his Roman practice, where he specialized in ornamental motifs for buildings, furniture, and funerary art. Classified as architecture and housed in the Smith...