Design for the Decoration of a Ceiling with the Allegories of the Four Continents and the Signs of the Zodiac

Anonymous, French, 17th century

ca. 1680-1710 · Pen and brown ink, brush and brown, gray, and red wash, heightened with white, over red and black chalk · Drawings and Prints

Based on its style, this ceiling design appears to be French, dating to the late seventeenth or perhaps the beginning of the eighteenth century. Apollo, holding his attribute of the lyre, appears at center, traversing the sky and following the arc of the zodiac. Allegorical figures representing the four continents are centered on each side, and ornamental designs featuring medallions containing scenes in bas-relief fill the corners. Executed in chalk, ink, and wash, this highly finished design may have been intended as a presentation drawing.

Artist

Anonymous, French, 17th century

Date

ca. 1680-1710

Medium

Pen and brown ink, brush and brown, gray, and red wash, heightened with white, over red and black chalk

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1965