Who painted Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church?

Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church was painted by Pierre Varin in 1750.

Where can I see Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church?

Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church?

Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church?

Museum-quality prints of Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church

Pierre Varin , 1750

Plan and Three Views of a Circular Church is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Pierre Varin. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left in gray ink: Pr.VArin fecite; upper right in gray ink: P.VARin fecite; upper left in gray ink: Pr.VArin fecite; various notations overall

About this work

Overview

Created around 1750, this pen drawing by Pierre Varin presents a comprehensive study of a circular church. It combines a floor plan with three separate elevations: a frontal view, a side cutaway revealing interior spaces, and a perspective of the dome’s interior. The composition also includes a surrounding courtyard with a fountain, indicating the building’s urban context.

Subject & Meaning

The work documents the architectural layout of a round ecclesiastical structure, highlighting its central tower, tall windows, and surrounding cloistered space. Annotations label functional areas such as the entrance and a bathroom, suggesting the drawing served as a practical guide for construction or renovation rather than purely decorative purposes.

Technique & Style

Varin employed pen with black and gray ink, augmenting the line work with subtle washes of gray, pink, and blue to model volume and suggest light. Cross‑hatching creates tonal gradations, while the delicate washes convey shadow and depth, especially in the interior dome view. Handwritten marginal notes accompany the image, integrating textual information with the visual plan.

History & Provenance

The drawing originates from mid‑18th‑century France, a period when detailed architectural surveys were common for civic and religious projects. Though the specific church is unidentified, the piece reflects Varin’s role as a draftsman for municipal or ecclesiastical authorities. Its survival in museum collections indicates it was preserved as a reference document rather than a finished artwork.