Partial View of a Circular Palace Hall with Radiating Rooms, a Design for the Stage

This exuberantly ornate space was drawn in Antonio Bibiena’s typically animated, calligraphic style. Like the adjacent sheets, the drawing represents an early stage in the creative process: sketched first in graphite, it was then worked up in pen, ink, and wash. The brilliantly abstracted figures beneath the arches and along the balustrade are characteristic of Antonio’s lively designs.