Design for an Illusionistic Ceiling Decoration

Although the attribution of this drawing is still uncertain, it clearly belongs to an artist whose ability and ease with illusionistic architecture is apparent in this elaborate design. The foreshortened view of a ceiling corner is decorated with ionic columns, putti, hanging garlands and an allegorical personification of Justice holding her attributes: scales and a sword. The shapes are drawn out in pen and brown ink while the shading, done in grey wash, conveys depth to the decorative design. This type of feigned architecture is a prime example of "quadratura", the painting of illusionistic architectural perspectives, a technique we encountered in the previous drawing.