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.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.