Design for a Ceiling: Apotheosis of Callisto or Diana (recto), and Sketch of Figures (verso) 1731

This drawing, made by Jacob de Wit, is rendered in pen and brown ink, with brown and gray wash over black chalk. The scale is relatively small, but its ambition is large: it's a design for a ceiling fresco. De Wit was a specialist in these painted ceilings, airy visions of classical mythology. Here, the goddess Diana is depicted, along with her nymphs, floating on clouds. It's a tour-de-force of painterly illusionism. But consider the labor involved in executing such a design, not only the artist's, but also the many assistants who would have been needed to transfer this design onto a large ceiling and then paint it, head tilted back for hours. It is through this collaborative effort that the airy vision would have materialized, the artist’s expertise blending with that of many others to create an aesthetic experience. The drawing gives us an intimate glimpse into the making of monumental works, reminding us that even the most ethereal visions are grounded in the reality of artistic production.