Sketch for Ceiling Decoration 1500 - 1600

This anonymous drawing, created sometime between 1500 and 1600, is a sketch for a ceiling decoration, now residing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The drawing features intricate details of a central oval frame with a landscape scene, surrounded by a multitude of cherubs, grotesque figures and foliage. This sketch exemplifies the Mannerist style, showcasing its characteristic elaborate ornamentation and interest in the fantastical.