Oil On Canvas Of A Sketch Of A Coffered Ceiling. Ettore Ballerini, Rome, Neoclassical Taste.

Large oil painting on canvas depicting a coffered ceiling sketch with patriotic emblems, signed Ettore Ballerini. Rome, early 20th century.

Impressive preparatory canvas of celebratory character, conceived as a sketch for the decoration of a coffered ceiling intended for the Palazzo del Campidoglio, created for an artistic competition held in the early decades of the 20th century. The work, signed in the lower left by the painter Ettore Ballerini, presents a sophisticated lacunar composition, featuring central symbols of Italian national identity and Roman heritage.

Prominently depicted are the SPQR acronym—standing for Senatus Populusque Romanus—and the Italian tricolor flag with the Savoy shield, the official emblem of the Kingdom of Italy. Surrounding these are classical decorative elements such as floral and geometric motifs, garlands, coats of arms, trophies, and scrolls, all arranged in a refined ornamental structure that testifies to the artist’s academic training and decorative expertise.

The sketch stands out for its masterful perspective of the coffered ceiling and its balanced chromatic palette—dominated by ochres, greens, and purples—that adds solemnity and institutional value to the composition. A rare example of project painting linked to public decoration contests for monumental buildings in post-unification Rome.

Very good condition: canvas re-stretched on a new stretcher, with slight surface wear and minor localized restorations, consistent with its age and preparatory purpose.