Design for the decoration of a pilaster: infant angels playing round the stem of a candelabrum

The artist employed a combination of fine pen lines, diluted ink washes, and a red‑chalk grid to outline the design. The red chalk grid, or squaring, served as a transfer tool, allowing the pattern to be accurately reproduced in paint or stucco on the actual wall surface.

Created circa 1530–40, the drawing is attributed to Giulio Romano (c.1499–1546), a prominent pupil of Raphael. Romano worked extensively for the Gonzaga court in Mantua, producing architectural projects, paintings, and designs for various decorative arts.

During the High Renaissance, artists often supplied detailed preparatory drawings for architectural ornamentation. Romano’s multidisciplinary practice—spanning architecture, painting, jewelry, tapestry, and metalwork—reflects the era’s integrated approach to visual culture.