The Dome That Was Never Built
Antonino Emanuele
A flat ceiling opens into a convincing dome, entirely through paint.
Architectural illusions / c. 1705
A Dome Painted onto a Vault
A painted cupola makes an existing vault seem to open upwards.
TRY THIS
Follow the painted circular rim and the apparent lantern. Compare this with Gozo: illusionistic domes can be painted on a vault as well as a flat surface.
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History, evidence & image credit
THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE
Zairon
Original file & attribution · CC BY-SA 3.0
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What is A Dome Painted onto a Vault?
A painted cupola makes an existing vault seem to open upwards.
What should I look for in A Dome Painted onto a Vault?
Follow the painted circular rim and the apparent lantern. Compare this with Gozo: illusionistic domes can be painted on a vault as well as a flat surface.
What explains A Dome Painted onto a Vault?
Foreshortened architectural details translate the view of a dome onto a different supporting surface. Looking from the intended area of the nave aligns painted architecture with the building below. A change of viewpoint exposes the mismatch between that imagined volume and the actual ceiling.
Another way to see it
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Walls That Become a Loggia
Baldassarre Peruzzi
A room’s walls appear to open through columns into the landscape beyond.