Design for a Ceiling (recto). Studies of an Arcade (verso) 17th century

This drawing, an anonymous design for a ceiling, captures the architectural motifs of its time with striking clarity, rendered in pen and brown ink with gray wash. The coffered ceiling, divided into sunken panels, speaks to a revival of classical forms. The coffers, arranged in a grid-like pattern, find their origins in ancient Roman architecture, where they served both decorative and structural purposes, lightening the weight of domes and vaults. We see similar patterns in the Pantheon's dome, where each coffer diminishes in size as it nears the oculus, creating an illusion of greater height. The reappearance of the coffer motif during the Renaissance suggests a longing to reconnect with the grandeur and intellectual achievements of antiquity. As with the cyclical nature of human memory, this design resurfaces through time, subtly altering but never truly disappearing, a powerful symbol that continues to resonate through the ages.