Design for a Sculptural Frame Decorated with Angel Heads, Volutes and Leaves (for a Ceiling ?); Design for a Base Decorated with Angel Heads, Volutes and Leaves 1510 - 1546

Giulio Romano made this pen and brown ink drawing in the first half of the 16th century, with the intention of proposing designs for interior architectural ornament. We see a ceiling and a base, each decorated with angel heads, volutes and leaves. Romano was working in Italy at the time of the High Renaissance. His style shows the influence of the great masters like Raphael, but also expresses a new, more decorative and theatrical sensibility. His art answered to the needs of powerful patrons, who wanted to project an image of themselves as cultured, wealthy, and sophisticated. The study of drawings like this can tell us a lot about the social function of art in the Renaissance. By looking at Romano's other works, his patrons, and the institutions in which he operated, we can better understand the relationship between art, power, and society in this period.