Ground Plan for a Catafalque for a Duke de Berri, probably Charles, Duke de Berri, Grandson of Louis XIV, and 3rd son of Louis, the Dauphin (1685-1714) 1696 - 1756

Giuseppe Galli Bibiena made this drawing for a catafalque, likely with pen and brown ink with gray wash, around 1714. From above, it shows an octagonal structure with detailed concentric layers and projecting elements. The subdued palette evokes solemnity, appropriate for a memorial design. Bibiena's design reflects the Baroque fascination with elaborate perspective and theatricality. Here, the octagonal base and the layered steps, draw the eye inward toward a central point. The play of light and shadow, achieved through the gray wash, suggests a three-dimensionality, emphasizing a sense of depth and grandeur. The drawing's structure and symmetry, and the semiotic interplay between geometric precision and dramatic presentation, challenge fixed notions. The Catafalque is a stage, not merely a static monument. By engaging with these aspects, the drawing prompts us to question the spectacle of power, even in death.