Decoration for the marriage of Prince Paluzzo Altieri
Medium
graphic design
Classification
graphic design
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-1847
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Decoration for the Marriage of Paluzzo Altieri** *Giuseppe Barberi (, 1746–1809), 1793* *Graphic design; Smithsonian American Art Museum* into the opulent world of 18th-century Italian nobility with Giuseppe Barberi's *Decoration for the Marriage of Paluzzo Altieri*1793). This graphic, created by the Roman architect and ornamentalist Barberi, served as a festive blueprint for celebrating the union of Prince Paluzzo Altieri, member of one of Rome's most prestigious papal families. Crafted amid the late Enlightenment era, it reflects the era's blend of grandeur and refinement, when elaborate wedding decorations symbolized alliance, power, and piety among the aristocracy. Barberi, renowned for his architectural drawings and intricate ornamental motifs inspired by antiquity, likely envisioned temporary pavilions, garlands, or illuminations bursting with classical symmetry and flourish. As a graphic design—a precise preparatory medium—it underscores the meticulous planning behind public spectacles, bridging architecture and ephemeral art. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum through generous donor support, this work invites us to imagine the torchlit revelry of a princely Roman wedding. Though research continues, the piece highlights Italy's enduring tradition of graphic arts in service of ceremony, offering a window into the cultural splendor of pre-Revolutionary Europe. (198 words)