Designs for Bed Alcoves (Recto). Studies for a figure of St. John the Baptist and a Bed Alcove (Verso). 1652 - 1725

Giovanni Battista Foggini created this pen and brown ink drawing, titled "Designs for Bed Alcoves," which resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Foggini lived in a time and place, seventeenth-century Florence, where the patronage of the powerful Medici family shaped not only politics, but art and culture as well. Here, we see the artist’s plans for a luxurious, private space. The bed alcove, with its ornate details, speaks volumes about the significance of intimacy and rest, particularly for those of high social standing. How did the idea of personal space intersect with one's identity, especially when class defined so much of daily life? The historical context is important: luxury and artistic patronage often came at the expense of the working classes. Foggini's design invites us to consider the relationship between aesthetics, power, and the broader societal structure of his time. The drawing provides a window into the material culture of the elite while prompting questions about those whose labor made such opulence possible.