Elevation of a Catafalque, Three Obelisks with Fluer-de-lys and Candles, Dated on Plaque at Bottom 1733. 1733

Giuseppe Galli Bibiena designed this pen and brown ink drawing of a catafalque in 1733. Catafalques, or temporary structures, were erected to honor deceased members of royalty or high-ranking clergy. Bibiena, who came from a family of renowned theater designers, utilizes architectural elements such as obelisks, heraldic symbols, and drapery. Note the fleur-de-lys, referencing French royalty. These temporary displays allowed those in power to showcase their status but also served as powerful reminders of mortality. Such displays operated in the political realm, where the spectacle of power was carefully crafted to maintain social order. But they also remind us of the very human rituals of mourning, inviting reflection on life, death, and legacy. While these structures were fleeting, drawings like this one allowed their memory to persist.