Stage Set: Palace Courtyard with Columns and Statues

A courtyard scena per angolo (scene viewed at an angle) could suggest an expansive palace without depicting the entire structure. The repetition of a few groups of columns prompts the viewer to imagine dozens more, just out of view. Even in the relatively small scale of a drawing, the immersive monumentality is palpable. The drawing is unusual in that it shows alternate schemes, one with and one without a proscenium arch framing the view.