The grotesque is an ornamental style that originated in the Roman period, conquering the artistic taste of clients from all over the world.
The name derives from the fact that at the end of the 15th century the wall decorations of Nero’s Domus Aurea were found in the underground of Rome, and artists went there by descending into these caves equipped with lanterns and drawing tools.
The motif I chose is one of the imaginative grotesques that decorate the Uffizi Palace in Florence.
To create it I used watercolor pastels and watercolors, on watercolor paper.
I reproduced the drawing in pencil and then slowly colored it with a thin brush, reproducing the precious lines, the imaginative motifs and the shades of color.
It is incredible how artists of the past dedicated so much attention to their works for walls, ceilings, which required enormous amounts of time to make. Quality was king and the result can be seen.
Here is an example of a ceiling painted with grotesques in the Uffizi Gallery:
painting,
Tempesta Antonio (attributed)
ca. 1555/ 1630
Source: General Catalogue of Cultural Heritage https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0900281388-1
