Painted ceilings were all the rage among Scottish nobles. Artists often used pattern books to mix and match motifs—kind of like a 16th-century Pinterest board.
The Prestongrange ceiling features grottesco imagery, which mixed classical sophistication with delightful absurdity. It’s one of the earliest examples of Renaissance art making its way to Scotland.
Borrowing from engravings by Hans Vredeman de Vries and Cornelis Bos, the Prestongrange ceiling is covered in creatures sporting exaggerated anatomy, ornate architectural elements, and suggestive fruits and flowers.