Design for the Decoration of an Arched Ceiling 1600 - 1700

This anonymous drawing from the 17th century is a design for the decoration of an arched ceiling, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The design features multiple oval frames, each containing a scene of figures. The artist employed a delicate and detailed style, using pen and brown ink, to create the intricate patterns of the frame. This drawing serves as an example of the sophisticated decorative art produced during this period, reflecting the taste for elaborate ornamentation that characterized the Baroque era.