Ontwerp voor een plafondschildering met centraal een voorstelling van Aurora 1677 - 1755

Here's a design for a ceiling painting, made by Elias van Nijmegen in the 17th or 18th century. It's rendered in pen, ink, and watercolor, using traditional fine art techniques. This wasn’t just art for art's sake. Van Nijmegen was creating a concept for a luxurious interior, probably for a wealthy client. Consider the elaborate ornamentation he’s proposing, with its trompe l'oeil effects. All of this would have required specialized labor. First a skilled painter like Van Nijmegen to create the design, and then other artisans to execute it on a grand scale. Plasterers, gilders, and decorators would all have been involved. Looking closely, you can almost imagine the scaffolding, the mixing of pigments, the careful application of gold leaf. This drawing gives us a glimpse into a world of patronage, where art and craft were intertwined, and social class was literally written on the walls – or ceilings – of elite society.