St. Peter's, drum, exterior bay, elevation with details (recto) St. Peter's, drum, section (verso) 1500 - 1560

This drawing, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, presents an anonymous study of St. Peter's drum exterior bay and section. Executed with ink on paper, the work offers a fascinating look at architectural form through precise, linear representation. The composition is dominated by a structured arrangement of lines and geometric shapes. It’s almost a language of architectural elements – a codification of classical forms like columns, capitals, and entablatures. The meticulous detail, evident in the notations and proportional measurements, invites us to consider the underlying structure of architectural design itself. The drawing exists as a set of signs, each line and marking contributing to a larger system of representation. The drawing challenges fixed notions by revealing the constructed nature of architectural grandeur, inviting us to decode the intellectual labor embedded in its creation. It underscores that architectural design, much like art, is a form of communication rooted in codified principles.