Francesco Galli Bibiena

Francesco Galli Bibiena made theater-stage designs and ceiling paintings in bold perspective. His “Design for an Allegorical Ceiling Painting” shows gods and clouds tumbling down a painted sky that tricks your eye into thinking the ceiling floats. The 1680 self-portrait looks straight at you from a dark coat against a lighter ground. These works belong to the late-Baroque era when artists loved dramatic angles and illusion. Want to see how the trick works? Tap his ceiling sketch next.