Design for ceiling decoration
1746â1809
Medium
interiors
Classification
interiors
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-1867
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Barberi (6–1809), an Italian architect and designer active during the late Enlightenment era, created this *Design for Ceiling Decoration* as part of his work in interior architecture. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection interiors, this piece exemplifies the meticulous preparatory drawings that guided the opulent ceiling treatments in grand palaces and villas of 18th-century Italy. through museum purchase with gifts from various donors and the Eleanor G Hewitt Fund, it reflects the era's fusion of functionality and lavish ornamentation. Ceiling designs like Bar...