Design for Suspended Censer 1652 - 1725

This pen and wash drawing by Giovanni Battista Foggini, a prominent Italian sculptor and designer, is a design for a suspended censer, a vessel used for burning incense. Created between 1652 and 1725, it showcases Foggini's mastery of Baroque style, characterized by ornate details and dynamic curves. The design features a central bowl with a decorative rim and intricate scrollwork, supported by two putti figures and a base with elaborate floral motifs. This drawing, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a glimpse into the artistic process of a master craftsman of the era and the decorative arts of the Baroque period.