“di sotto in su”. analisi geometrica di alcuni esempi di prospettive in Lombardia

The XVII century, in Lombardia, is characterized by a number of examples of “quadrature” downside-up depicted on the vaults and ceilings of palaces and villas. Some of these paintings have been listed and studied with the aim of finding the methods that contributed to influence the Andrea Pozzo’s perspective principles during the years of his training. The vault of Visconti Palace in Canegrate, the ceiling and the vaults of Moroni Palace in Bergamo, and the vaults of Calderara Palace in Vanzago are few examples showing, through the various types, the high level reached, in the field of quadraturismo, within the Lombard area during the second half of the XVII century. In all these cases, the illusions show architectural scenes seen from one or more viewpoints. The present study unveils the practical devices to acquire and to describe such kind of works and the painter’s geometric thought developed to give the illusion of a wider space, made possible with a perspective artifice.