One Half Design for a Ceiling with Floral and Strapwork Motifs (recto); Slight Scribbles (verso). 1709 - 1730

This drawing of a ceiling design was made by Donato Giuseppe Frisoni, an Italian architect and stuccoist who lived between 1683 and 1735. As a ceiling design, this work offers insight into the aesthetic values of the early 18th century. Floral and strapwork motifs were not just decorative; they were deeply embedded in the cultural language of the era. The presence of the floral motifs suggests a desire to bring nature indoors, reflecting the values of the elite. While the delicate floral elements bring to mind the feminine, the geometric shapes of the strapwork evoke a sense of masculine strength and order. What we might interpret as slight scribbles on the verso could be Frisoni grappling with the tension between the organic and the geometric. Frisoni's drawing is a cultural artifact. It invites us to reflect on the ways in which gendered and classed identities were constructed and negotiated. It speaks to how power and beauty can be intertwined in the most intimate spaces of our lives.