Ceiling with Allegorical Figures and the Arms of Pope Sixtus V (Guerra's outer drawing); Saint Joseph and the Christ Child (Viani's central drawing), outer drawing c. 1587; central drawing after 1690; attachments c. 1700-1725

Not on View

Medium

pen and brown ink with brown wash over black chalk on heavy laid paper (outer drawing); graphite on heavy laid paper (central drawing); gold leaf borders and paper cut-outs adhered to oculi (Talman additions)

Dimensions

center section (octagon): 23.3 x 16.2 cm (9 3/16 x 6 3/8 in.)
Overall (ceiling design): 51.1 x 41.8 cm (20 1/8 x 16 7/16 in.)
mount: 53.3 x 44 cm (21 x 17 5/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of The Circle of the National Gallery of Art

Accession Number

1994.49.1

Artists / Makers

Giovanni Guerra (artist) Roman, 1544 - 1618

Domenico Maria Viani (artist) Italian, 1668 - 1711

Image Use

This image is in the public domain.
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Inscription

by later hand, upper left vertical margin in brown ink: Georgio Vasari fecit.; by later hand, center verso in red chalk: Domenico Viani / Bolognese; by later hand, center verso in dark brown ink: Orig di / Domenico Viani / Bolognese; by later hand, center verso in light brown ink: No. 1575.; by later hand, lower center verso in graphite: This Ornament is by Georgio Vasari; by later hand, upper right verso in brown ink: inv (?) 4.8.; by later hand, upper left verso in brown ink: 9

Provenance

John Talman (1677-1726), Hinxworth (Hertfordshire), England; William Fagg; (Annamaria Edelstein, London); purchased 1994 by NGA.

Associated Names

Edelstein, Annamaria
Fagg, William
Succi Limited
Talman, John

Exhibition History

1995: Recent Acquisitions of Works of Art on Paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1995 (no catalogue).

2023: Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings, 1550-1800, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2023.