Cove 1600 - 1700

This ink and wash drawing, called “Cove,” is by an anonymous artist. It depicts a section of ornate architectural molding, likely designed for an interior space. The drawing presents us with allegorical figures and decorative elements; swags of flowers, cherubs, and sphinxes fill the elaborate framework. Without knowing its original location or context, we can only speculate about the symbolic program it advances. Was it intended for a palace or a church? Who was meant to see it? And what messages of power or piety were being communicated through the image? The lack of information we have about the artist and the patron means that we need to research the visual culture of the period, looking at comparable examples of interior design. Only then can we begin to unravel the meanings embedded within this intriguing fragment. The architectural drawings in museum collections and archives are invaluable for tracing the history of taste and social values.