Two Variants for the Design of a Horizontal Panel 1652 - 1725

Giovanni Battista Foggini made this sheet with pen and brown ink, with brown wash over traces of graphite, to explore two design options for a horizontal panel. The immediate visual experience is of dynamic, curvilinear forms contained within a rectangular frame. Notice how the composition is split vertically, each half presenting a distinct variation. The left side bursts with human figures amidst swirling foliage, suggesting a vibrant, almost chaotic energy. In contrast, the right side features more geometric and stylized, shell-like forms, offering a sense of structured elegance. Foggini's use of line and wash creates a contrast between detail and broad tonal areas, emphasizing the three-dimensionality of his designs. These are Baroque designs, an era that embraced dynamism and complexity but also appreciated the underlying order and structure that gave form to expression. The two sides, while distinct, speak to a larger theme of how artistic expression negotiates between freedom and constraint, and how design can integrate both naturalistic and abstract elements. It’s a dialogue that continues to resonate in art and design today.