Read the visual description
This is a drawing of a highly detailed architectural design reminiscent of Baroque or Renaissance ceilings. It features ornate panels, ceremonial motifs, and sculptural embellishments. The drawing includes multiple roundels and medallions depicting allegoric figures and intricate floral designs. The central ceiling painting shows a sky with mythical figures, creating a sense of depth and grandeur typical of trompe-l'oeil painting. The drawing is in grayscale and may have been created as a preliminary study for a mural or fresco.
National Gallery of Art · Drawing
A Grand Illusionistic Ceiling
Ferdinando Galli Bibiena
- Date
- 1720/1740
- Medium
- pen and brown ink with gray and brown washes over graphite on laid paper
- Dimensions
- overall: 60.1 x 105.9 cm (23 11/16 x 41 11/16 in.)
- Classification
- Drawing
- Accession number
- 1994.73.1
- Credit line
- Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund and an Anonymous Donor
- Time span
- 1701 to 1725
- Department
- CG-E
Subjects and terms
- Bolognese
- plan
- architecture
- interior
- ceiling design
Provenance
Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia or his son, Charles Emmanuel III; (E.V. Thaw and Co., New York); purchased by NGA, 1994.
NGA object ID 90163. 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.