Design for a Painted Wall Decoration for Palazzo Massimo all'Aracoeli (Rome) 1683

This drawing by Basilio Briccio, created in 1683, is a design for a painted wall decoration for the Palazzo Massimo all'Aracoeli in Rome. The design features a series of arched niches with classical columns and statues, and a central opening that looks out onto a garden. The design is a fine example of the Baroque style, with its elaborate ornamentation and illusionistic perspective. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is the current home of this piece.