Design for the Catafalque of a Prince 1605 - 1630

Pier Francesco Battistelli rendered this design for the Catafalque of a Prince with pen and brown ink and brown wash over black chalk. You can see the layered process in the sepia tones. As a drawing, it’s a step removed from direct material engagement; yet consider how Battistelli’s work, though on paper, is deeply rooted in an awareness of the materiality of real-world construction. A catafalque is a temporary structure erected to honor a deceased person, typically a member of the nobility. To execute such an elaborate design in three dimensions would have involved sculptors, carpenters, textile workers, and many others. The layered drawing shows this complex, collaborative production. From the columns, statues, and intricate ornaments to the implied presence of the deceased, lying in state at the base, the drawing is a testament to the material culture of mourning, and the skilled labor required to produce it. Battistelli’s work reminds us that even seemingly ephemeral displays involve significant resources, labor, and social meaning.