The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 25, 2024
The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling
c. 1675–76
(Italian, 1625–1684)
Sheet: 24 x 37.7 cm (9 7/16 x 14 13/16 in.)
Location: not on view
Description
Domenico Maria Canuti made this design for a quadratura ceiling fresco in preparation for a commission at the Palazzo Altieri in Rome. Quadratura describes painting in which architectural elements are painted to appear to be part of the real architectural setting. Canuti focused on establishing the visual coherence between the figures, portraying the deification of Rome’s founder, and the painted architecture by drawing perspective lines at 90-degree and 45-degree angles. The perfectly rendered 24-point stars at the edge of the painted architecture were emblems of the Altieri family.- Peters, Emily J. and Wehn, James. “Acquisition Highlights: Drawings.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine vol. 58. no. 2 (March/April 2018): 12-13. Reproduced: P. 13; Mentioned: P. 12.
- {{cite web|title=The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling|url=false|author=Domenico Maria Canuti|year=c. 1675–76|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2017.104