GROUP 6

CEILING
ALTAMIRA CAVE PAINTINGS(STONE AGE
CEILING)
The Altamira paintings (circa 13,000 BC)
were the first Stone Age rock paintings to
be discovered. The reproduction in the
Deutsches Museum was the first replica of
such paintings with a claim to authenticity
in terms of form and materials.
EGYPTIAN CEILING
Two types of the ceiling architecture had
been known at the ancient Egyptian
architecture, (the domestic one) and (the
religious one), the latter also divided into
two sections (divine one, which designated
to the mansions (temples) of the gods and
goddesses & the second one (the funerary
architecture) which dedicated to their
dead.
CEILING FOR THE GODS AND GODDESSES
CEILING FOR THE DEAD
ROMAN CEILING
Little is known of ancient Greek ceilings, but Roman
ceilings were rich with relief and painting, as is
evidenced by the vault soffits of Pompeian baths.
ROMAN CEILING
BYZANTINE CEILING
Byzantine art including the ceiling were mostly
concerned with religious expression. One of the most
profound Byzantine art characteristics was the
translation of church theology into artistic forms such
as sculptures, mosaics and paintings.
Cúpula central San Vital de Ravena
GOTHIC CEILING
The characteristics of Gothic ceilings are stone
structures, large expanses of glass, sharply pointed
spires, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses. One of
their main characteristics is the ogival, or pointed
arch.
RENAISSANCE CEILING
In the Renaissance, ceiling design was developed to its
highest pitch of originality and variety. Three types were
elaborated. The first was the coffered ceiling, in the complex
design of which the Italian Renaissance architects far outdid
their Roman prototypes. Circular, square, octagonal, and L-
shaped coffers abounded, with their edges richly carved and
the field of each coffer decorated with a rosette. The second
type consisted of ceilings wholly or partially vaulted, often with
arched intersections, with painted bands emphasizing the
architectural design and with pictures filling the remainder of
the space. The loggia of the Farnesina villa in Rome, decorated
by Raphael and Giulio Romano, is a good example of this. In the
third type, which was particularly characteristic of Venice, the
ceiling became one large framed picture, as in the Doges’
Palace.
BAROQUE CEILING
In the BAROQUE period, fantastic figures in heavy
relief, scrolls, cartouches, and garlands were also used
to decorate ceilings of this type. The Pitti Palace in
Florence and many French ceilings in the Louis XIV
style illustrate this.

Ceiling of Pitti
Palace in
Florence
ROCOCO CEILING
Salon de Monsieur le Prince (completed 1722) in
the Petit Château at Chantilly, decorated by Jean
Aubert.
TRADITIONAL CEILING
VICTORIAN CEILING
Throughout decorating history, even residential ceilings
were embellished with color, striping, cast-plaster ornaments,
corner fans, borders, specialty papers, and murals. Stencils
appeared early on, but the late 19th-century Victorian era was
the heyday of the embellished ceiling. Faced with ceiling
heights of 9' or more on the main floor, decorators always
considered the ceiling along with the walls. At its simplest, the
ceiling may have been painted white tinted with a bit of the
wall color, with a stripe around the perimeter, and maybe tiny
corner fans. In general, the higher the ceiling, the more
elaborate the decoration. Full embellishment would include a
border or two, corner treatments, a center rosette, and a field
—done in paper, freehand painting, stenciled decoration, or a
combination of those.
TUSCAN CEILING
Ceiling (Natural Raw Wooden Beams/Frescos) Used
largely during the Renaissance period in palaces and
homes, this particular style of ceiling is still used
today. Raw dark wooden beams are standard features
of a traditional Tuscan ceiling, creating a rustic
contrast with the smooth light-colored plaster walls.
Frescos, painted designs such as clouds or angels, are
frequently used to decorate ceilings in foyers and
dining rooms, and are omnipresent in historic
buildings, palaces, public places and more in Florence.