Ontwerp voor de beschildering van een gewelf met figuren

About this artwork

ondertekening in potlood, penseel en pen in bruin

Art Historical Context

**Ontwerp voor de beschild van een gewelf meturen** by Bernardino Poccetti (8–1612) is a delicate preparatory drawing for a vault ceiling decoration featuring figures. Created by the Florentine Mannerist, renowned for his frescoes adorning churches and palaces across Tuscany, this work exemplifies the intricate planning behind grand Renaissance interiors. Poccetti's designs often populated architectural vaults with dynamic figures, blending illusionistic perspective and graceful poses characteristic of Mannerism—a style bridging High Renaissance harmony with emerging Baroque exuberance. Executed in pen with brown ink, brush, and pencil underdrawing on a modest sheet (218 × 353 mm), the piece reveals the artist's meticulous technique. The subtle pencil outlines provide a scaffold for the fluid brown ink lines and washes, allowing Poccetti to experiment with composition, light, and figural arrangement before committing to fresco. Such bozzetti (sketches) were essential in workshops, guiding teams of assistants in large-scale projects. This drawing offers a window into 16th-century Italian decorative arts, where vaults transformed sacred and secular spaces into theatrical heavens. Poccetti's contributions, seen in sites like Florence's Santissima Annunziata, highlight Mannerism's emphasis on elegance and complexity, making this artifact a treasured glimpse of artistic process for modern visitors.

About the Artist

Bernardino Poccetti · 1548–1612

Italian late Renaissance fresco painter, Florence. Comment on works: religious; in Pilkington he is credited with flower paintings