Design for a Ceiling Decoration. 1709 - 1720

Editor: So, this is Donato Giuseppe Frisoni's "Design for a Ceiling Decoration," created sometime between 1709 and 1720. It's a drawing, etching, and print - all in one. What strikes me is the incredible detail. How would you interpret this design, thinking about its creation? Curator: We can approach it by looking at the labour embedded within the ornament itself. Etching, as a reproductive technology, allowed for dissemination of design. It speaks to a culture where even ceiling decoration wasn't simply a product of individual craftsmanship, but also of material production on some scale. It shifts from a ‘unique artwork’ to a commodity of sorts, wouldn't you say? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered it in that way. Are you suggesting it reflects changing social attitudes towards art making? Curator: Exactly. Baroque ornamentation, especially at this scale, necessitated teams of artisans working from these designs. Think about the process: from the architect to the etcher, to the plasterers interpreting the design on site. Who held the authority and dictated taste, and who supplied the labor? Editor: So, it’s not just a pretty drawing but evidence of a whole network of material production and labour. Curator: Precisely. It’s not just about Frisoni's skill, but about the entire system that brought such designs into existence and consumed them. This object reveals something essential about Baroque society. What do you think you’ll take away from considering it this way? Editor: I’ll definitely look at ornamentation and design differently. The materiality speaks of power and economics. Curator: Agreed, that is essential to understanding objects like these.