Plafonddecoratie met Olympische goden, naakte figuren en ornament 1660 - 1692

Pietro Aquila made this drawing of a ceiling decoration with pen and brown ink in the late 17th century. Aquila lived during a time when the Roman Catholic Church was a major patron of the arts, particularly during the Baroque period. In this drawing, Aquila reproduces classical ideals of beauty and heroism. We see idealized nude figures, gods, and ornamentation characteristic of classical art. What is striking is the pervasive masculinity of the scene, and how men are celebrated as the heroic ideal. The image resonates with the power structures inherent in the historical era when it was made. Notice how this imagery reinforces the dominance of a particular class and gender. It’s impossible to ignore how the bodies are constructed as symbols of power and authority. This kind of art served to reinforce the values of its time, but today, we can look at it with a more critical eye, recognizing both its artistic skill and its social implications.