Artwork
Design for a Trompe-l'oeil Ceiling Decoration
Design for a Trompe-l'oeil Ceiling Decoration is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Pietro de Angelis. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:by later hand, lower right in brown ink: [not deciphered] de Angelis Romany Invenit et fecit; by later hand, lower left verso in graphite: Rect A04 III-08 Priv Youv
About this work
Overview
Pietro de Angelis's Design for a Trompe-l'oeil Ceiling Decoration is a drawing created around 1780 using pen, black ink, gray wash, and graphite on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a trompe-l'oeil ceiling with rows of tall columns, a central blank space containing faint sketches of figures, and a densely ornamented dark border. The composition creates an illusion of depth, blurring the line between representation and reality.
Technique & Style
De Angelis employed techniques such as cross-hatching to create shading and depth in the drawing, using layered lines to build up tonal values and achieve a convincing illusion of three-dimensional space.
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Artist & collection
