Artwork
Design for an Altar
Design for an Altar is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Francesco Salviati. It dates from 1536 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
This drawing, created by Francesco Salviati in 1536, is a design for an altar. It showcases the artist's skill in preparing detailed compositions for large-scale works.
Subject & Meaning
The design features a complex altar structure with a battle scene at the top, flanked by winged figures and adorned with intricate carvings and a coat of arms. The imagery suggests a symbolic or commemorative purpose.
Technique & Style
Salviati employed a range of techniques, including pen and brown ink, brown wash, white heightening, and black chalk, to achieve a high level of detail and depth. The use of cross-hatching and shading creates a three-dimensional effect.
History & Provenance
As a prominent Italian Mannerist painter, Salviati worked on various projects, including altar designs, history paintings, and tapestry designs for the Medici family, reflecting his diverse output during his career.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Salviati or Francesco de' Rossi (1510 – 11 November 1563) was an Italian Mannerist painter who lived and worked in Florence, with periods in Bologna and Venice, ending with a long period in Rome, where he died.
Fragments of a design for a fresco in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Illusionistic Ceiling with a Grape Arbor, Figures Poised on Galleries, and a Central Scene of Olympian Gods
Design for wall decoration, possibly at Chatsworth, Derbyshire
A Reliquary of Saint Sigismondo
An Elaborate Altar with the Resurrection of Christ and the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew
Design for the back of a gem-set handmirror
Ecclesia Surrounded by Angels Holding the Instruments of the Passion
Perseus and Minerva before a Temple
Fantasy of a Façade with Bizarre Ornaments