projekt plafonu ‘Jutrzenka’ do pałacu J. Neczajewa-Malcewa w Petersburgu 1883 - 1884

Here's a preliminary ceiling design, created by Henryk Siemiradzki, likely from the late 19th century, using graphite and pastel. These materials are foundational to academic artmaking, chosen for their ability to render light and form with precision. Siemiradzki was commissioned to design a ceiling for the palace of J. Neczajewa-Malcewa in St. Petersburg. The circular composition, full of figures, suggests that it would have been frescoed, or perhaps painted on canvas and then applied to the interior architecture. Though the pastel medium gives this study a soft ethereal quality, the labor required to execute the final design would have been immense. This design would be scaled up and transferred onto the ceiling, and realized by a team of skilled painters. The design process itself reflects a hierarchical approach, with the artist conceiving the idea and skilled artisans executing it. So, even in this preliminary drawing, we see echoes of the social structures and division of labor, inherent in the production of decorative arts for the wealthy.