Study of apparati from a royal celebration
c1690. Pen and brown ink on cream laid paper, 3 x 8 inches (76 x 230 mm), the full sheet. In good condition with some edge wear and losses at all but the lower right corner. Adhered to a 19th century laid paper matrix at the corners. On the verso is a similar decorative design in brown ink.
This work is a classic example of an "apparato" design. In the 16th and 17th centuries, artists were frequently commissioned to design ephemeral architecture and "festival machines" for royal entries, weddings, or religious processions. These festival machines were often made of temporary materials like wood, plaster, and gilded papier-mâché to be used once during a city-wide celebration and then dismantled. This image may also be a pattern sheet for an engraver.
Item number: 2501
Price: $400.00
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