Ground Plan for a Catafalque for a Prince of Lorraine 1696 - 1756

This is the ground plan for a catafalque, or memorial structure, for a Prince of Lorraine, drawn by Giuseppe Galli Bibiena. The design centers on a circle, a symbol with deep roots in human culture, representing wholeness, eternity, and the cosmos. The circular motif is repeated across different times and places, from ancient burial mounds to the rose windows of Gothic cathedrals, embodying a sense of completion and divine order. This shape is not merely geometric; it echoes our psychological quest for unity and resolution in the face of mortality. The use of classical architectural elements is an attempt to convey the eternal status of the prince, connecting with powerful subconscious ideas about death and memory. The catafalque becomes a stage where collective grief and remembrance are enacted, tapping into our deepest emotional responses to loss and continuity. The symbols here speak to our primal need to make sense of death, and this plan is part of a long, non-linear progression where artistic expression addresses the cyclical nature of life, death, and remembrance.