Trompe L'Oeil Ceiling with the Coronation of the Virgin and a Variant for the Decoration 17th century

This 17th-century anonymous drawing is a design for a trompe l'oeil ceiling, a technique that uses realistic imagery to create the illusion of depth and space. The drawing depicts the Coronation of the Virgin, a popular religious scene, surrounded by an intricate architectural framework. The artist uses shading and perspective to create the illusion that the ceiling is actually a three-dimensional structure, a hallmark of trompe l'oeil art. This drawing would have served as a guide for the artist to create a similar effect on a real ceiling, a common practice in the 17th century. The drawing's circular format and the use of a single vanishing point highlight the artist's mastery of perspective, a key aspect of Renaissance art.