Open full image Pin

Floor Plan [verso]

Filippo Juvarra

1707

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque 18th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Floor Plan [verso] is a 1707 chalk by Filippo Juvarra, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Filippo Juvarra
When & what style?: 1707 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a top-down view of a building with thick, dark walls and small black circles marking windows or doors. The shape is odd—like a cross with rounded corners and extra arms sticking out. There’s a courtyard in the middle, with a smaller semicircular space above it. The lines are precise, but the paper looks old and worn. The dark ink and gray wash make the walls stand out against the light background. This style was used to plan real buildings, not just for art. Juvarra made this kind of sketch to help builders understand the layout before construction. If you like this, look up Baroque to see how dramatic shapes and light played a big role in architecture.