Design for the left half of a chimneypiece

Anonymous, Italian, 17th century Italian

Not on view

By the seventeenth century, chimneypieces had become an important object of design within the interior. Examples in late Renaissance and early Baroque styles were often highly sculptural, heavily ornate and very colorful feats of design bravura. The love for the theatrical, which characterized the Baroque period, meant that a certain level of monumentality was pursued. In that respect, these two drawings show designs of a relatively modest nature, although colored marbled and gilding could transform their final look dramatically.

Design for the left half of a chimneypiece, Anonymous, Italian, 17th century, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over leadpoint

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Design for the left half of a chimneypiece, Anonymous, Italian, 17th century, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over leadpoint
Design for the left half of a chimneypiece, Anonymous, Italian, 17th century, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over leadpoint

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