The image depicts a grand architectural drawing with a central perspective view leading through a monumental archway. The point of view is straight on, showcasing the symmetrical design and scale of the arch, with columns and detailed architectural elements drawing the eye upward. The street extends beyond the archway, lined with buildings that diminish in size. The brushstrokes create depth and detail, with shading emphasizing the architecture's three-dimensional qualities. The color palette is primarily monochromatic, using shades of gray to highlight the structure's intricacies. Large figures on pedestals under the arch provide scale, and figures and horses can be seen on the distant street, adding perspective.
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The image depicts a grand architectural drawing with a central perspective view leading through a monumental archway. The point of view is straight on, showcasing the symmetrical design and scale of the arch, with columns and detailed architectural elements drawing the eye upward. The street extends beyond the archway, lined with buildings that diminish in size. The brushstrokes create depth and detail, with shading emphasizing the architecture's three-dimensional qualities. The color palette is primarily monochromatic, using shades of gray to highlight the structure's intricacies. Large figures on pedestals under the arch provide scale, and figures and horses can be seen on the distant street, adding perspective.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

An Architectural Capriccio with a Triumphal Arch

Maurizio Pedetti

Date
1784
Medium
pen and gray and black ink and gray wash over graphite on laid paper, laid down
Dimensions
sheet: 72 × 53.6 cm (28 3/8 × 21 1/8 in.) mount: 73.4 × 54.3 cm (28 7/8 × 21 3/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2017.128.1
Credit line
Gift of Vincent J. Buonanno
Time span
1776 to 1800
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • architecture
Provenance

Private collection, Germany. (sale, Christie's, Amsterdam, 3 April 2007, no. 773); (Galerie Motte Masselink, Paris); Vincent Buonanno, Chicago; gift to NGA in 2017

Inscription

lower left in brown ink: Mauritius Pedetti / in e Deli: 1784

NGA object ID 155529. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.