Spherical Study – Unknown Artist (c. 18th Century)

Spherical Study is an 18th-century instructional illustration from the manuscript Sammlung geometrischer und perspectivischer, in Farben ausgeführter Zeichnungen (Cod. Guelf. 74.1 Aug. 2°), created to examine volume, curvature, and spatial continuity through disciplined form.

A precisely gridded sphere is positioned within a carefully balanced geometric support system, allowing proportion and alignment to demonstrate three-dimensional reasoning. Rather than operating as abstraction for its own sake, the composition foregrounds clarity, control, and structural intelligence as the primary means of understanding space.