rtyard side of the
vestibule, and the two above the doors leading into the wings of the
north block, all of which are believed to have been carved by Nollekens.
The grotesque groups flanking the main doorways on three sides of the
quadrangle and the central doorway on the terrace appear also to have
been designed by Cipriani. The apartments in Sir William Chambers's
stately palace that were assigned to the Royal Academy, into which it
moved in 1780, owed much to Cipriani's graceful, if mannered, pencil.
The central panel of the library ceiling was painted by Sir Joshua
Reynolds, but the four compartments in the coves, representing Allegory,
Fable, Nature and History, were Cipriani's. These paintings still remain
at Somerset House, together with the emblematic painted ceiling, also
his work, of what was once the library of the Royal Society. It was
natural that Cipriani should thus devote himself to adorning the
apartments of the academy, since he was an original member (1768) of
that body, for which he designed the diploma so well engraved by
Bartolozzi. In recognition of his services in this respect the members
presented him in 1769 with a silver cup with a commemorative
inscription. He was much employed by the publishers, for whom he made
drawings in pen and ink, sometimes coloured. His friend Bartolozzi
engraved most of them. Drawings by him are in both the British Museum
and Victoria and Albert Museum. His best autograph engravings are "The
Death of Cleopatra," after Benvenuto Cellini; "The Descent of the Holy
Ghost," after Gabbiani; and portraits for Hollis's memoirs, 1780. He
painted allegorical designs for George III.'s state coach--which is
still in use--in 1782, and repaired Verrio's paintings at Windsor and
Rubens's ceiling in the Banqueting House at Whitehall. If his pictures
were often weak, his decorative treatment of children was usually
exceedingly happy. Some of his most pleasing work was that which,
directly or indirectly, he executed for the decoration of furniture. He
designed many groups of nymphs and _amorini_ and medallion subjects to
form the centre of Pergolesi's bands of ornament, and they were
continually reproduced upon the elegant satin-wood furniture which was
growing popular in his later days and by the end of the 18th century
became a rage. Sometimes these designs were inlaid in marqueterie, but
most frequently they were painted upon the satin-wood by other hands
with delightful effect, sin