sotto in su

Andrea Mantegna: Oculus in the Camera degli SposiFresco on the ceiling of the Camera degli Sposi, by Andrea Mantegna, completed 1474. It demonstrates the technique of sotto in su.

sotto in su, in drawing and painting, extreme foreshortening of figures painted on a ceiling or other high surface so as to give the illusion that the figures are suspended in air above the viewer. It is an approach that was developed during the Renaissance, and it was especially favoured by Baroque and Rococo painters, particularly in Italy. Andrea Mantegna, Giulio Romano, Correggio, and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo were outstanding exponents of the technique.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.
Citation Information
Article Title: sotto in su
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 27 October 2008
Access Date: March 14, 2025