Exquisite ceiling designs explored at National Gallery of Art
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Tuesday, November 5, 2024


Exquisite ceiling designs explored at National Gallery of Art
Felice Giani, A Coffered Dome with Apollo and Phaeton, c. 1787. Pen and brown ink with gray, blue, and pink washes over black chalk on wove paper, overall: 34.9 x 27 cm (13 3/4 x 10 5/8 in.) National Gallery of Art, Washington, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund.



WASHINGTON, DC.- In the Western European tradition, painted ceilings featured some of the most ambitious, compelling, and meaningful compositions for nearly four centuries. Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings, 1550–1800 presents some 30 examples of these drawings that illustrate the evolution of ceiling decoration. Many of the drawings have rarely been exhibited. Some are vibrant preliminary studies while others are large-scale models that convey the experience of the intended final painted ceiling. Celebrating the complexity and beauty of this tradition, the exhibition is on view from January 29 through July 9, 2023, in the West Building of the National Gallery of Art.

“In modern architecture and contemporary interior design, ceilings have lost most of their artistic design,” said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. “This exhibition reveals how these grand projects in private and public spaces throughout Western Europe enticed viewers to pause and look up.”

Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings, 1550–1800 features some 30 designs that represent the evolution and principal types of ceiling decoration from this period. Examples range from a field of discrete compartments in the early 16th century to the illusion of suspended canvas paintings along with their frames by the end of the century. Other highlights include drawings that portray an illusion of a single, soaring space teeming with figures in dynamic movement during the baroque period. The exhibition concludes with designs that show the geometric organization and idealized form associated with neoclassicism.

Among the works on view are Friedrich Sustris’s (1540–1599) recently acquired study of Euterpe (Personification of Music) (1569/1573) for a fresco in the Fugger Palace at Augsburg, which was lost in the Second World War; Andrea Pozzo’s (1642–1709) three-foot model for his major project, the decoration of the nave vault of the Church of Sant’lgnazio in Rome (1685/1690); models for spectacular compositions by leading painters of the late baroque in Central Europe, including Cosmas Damian Asam (1686–1739) and Anton Kern (1709–1747); and Giuseppe Benucci’s (active c. 1769) nearly five-foot model for the ceiling of the Church of Ognissanti in Florence (c. 1769).

Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings, 1550–1800
National Gallery of Art, Washington, January 29–July 9, 2023


In modern architecture and contemporary interior design, ceilings have lost much of their original, complex meaning, becoming neutral fields or featuring generic decoration. However, in the European tradition that spanned nearly four centuries, ceilings were where the most ambitious, compelling, and meaningful painted compositions appeared.

Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings, 1550–1800 presents some 30 examples of the evolution of ceiling decoration. These works move from architectural frameworks housing conventional paintings to the illusion of a single, soaring space teeming with figures and dynamic movement during the baroque, and then on to the geometric organization and idealized form associated with neoclassism. Some of the drawings are vibrant preliminary studies; others are large-scale models that give a sense of the experience of the intended final composition. Studies of single motifs and individual figures reveal how these grand projects enticed viewers to pause and look up.

The exhibition is curated by Jonathan Bober, Andrew W. Mellon Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Art.










Today's News

January 30, 2023

The Met explores notions of identity and place in nearly 100 works of 19th-century Danish art

Zentrum Paul Klee opens an extensive exhibition to the little-known late work of the Catalan artist Joan Miró

Exquisite ceiling designs explored at National Gallery of Art

'Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life' on view at Tate St Ives

Property from the collection of Helena de Kay and Richard Watson Gilder comes to Heritage in February

Exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Somerset celebrates Rodney Graham's multifaceted artistic vision

Tom Verlaine, influential guitarist and songwriter, dies at 73

Stephen Friedman Gallery presents a solo exhibition by German artist Stephan Balkenhol

Mia Hansen-love and the hazy line where real life ends and art begins

Raven Row reopens with 'People Make Television'

Mercer Union presents Lydia Ourahmane's first institutional solo show in Canada

Michael Rosenfeld Gallery exhibits sculptures and works on paper by Harold Cousins

Jenkins Johnson Projects, New York opens 'The Horses Stood Like Men'

Alison Bradley Projects opens Motoyuki Shitamichi's first exhibition in the U.S.

Heritage breaks new ground with CGC-rated games and original artwork in $1.9 million Video Game Auction

Canterbury Museum opens a street art exhibition

'Isaac Julien: Lina Bo Bardi: A Marvellous Entanglement' opens at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Exhibition presents inventive installations which explore the rich and complex history of the Middle East region

The Montclair State University Galleries opens two new exhibitions this spring

'Jessica Drenk: Reclaimed Topographies' opens at Heather Gaudio Fine Art

Brookgreen Gardens display works by iconic French sculptor Auguste Rodin

The Manetti Shrem Museum presents 'Mike Henderson: Before the Fire, 1965-1985'

The unlikely bookstore of my dreams

For the first time ever, I'm optimistic about women in the movie world

Best Practices For Using Random Video Chat for Safe Communication

How To Get Twitch Partner In 2023

Who Is The Best Nail File Manufacturer in 2023?

The Ultimate Comparison Between China Sourcing and DIY Sourcing

Finding The Right Flooring Installation Contractor: Tips For Choosing Wisely




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful