Design for a Ceiling Painting with a Nuptial Allegory c. 1750 - 1775

This watercolor and graphite drawing, a "Design for a Ceiling Painting with a Nuptial Allegory", was made by Pietro Antonio Novelli III. The image depicts a conventional subject matter, yet the artist's method is intriguing: he used traditional art materials in an interesting way. It appears Novelli sketched the figures in graphite first, and then added watercolor. Look at the way Novelli used wash and line. Notice how the washes are very thin, applied with loose, soft brushstrokes. The artist’s hand is so present, almost like an expressive sketch. It seems contradictory, though: the imagery speaks of eternal, unchanging values, but the technique feels spontaneous and momentary. This contrast draws our attention to the drawing's status as a design. The sketch is free, but it is also work, anticipating the labor of the painting to come. The artist is not so much an inspired genius, but a skilled laborer who uses his experience to produce designs for wealthy clients. Materials, making, and context are thus inseparable, allowing us to fully appreciate this artwork's meaning, and blurring traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.