Sketches of Islamic architectural decorations and colour tests

This drawing is part of a set made during Madrazo’s student days for the purposes of analysis and research. The majority of these analytical drawings are fairly schematic sketches that focus on one particular part of an architectural structure. They contain an abundance of geometric designs of capitals, borders and floors for embellishing monuments and stalks, flowers and other plant motifs that display organic forms rather than elemental symmetry. The most interesting thing about these student drawings is how they document Madrazo’s evolution in terms of visual representation and architectural motivations, year after year; they offer proof of his skill and imaginative vision, and most of the sketches envision projects that had already been built.

The plan shows Islamic geometric decorative patterns and different colour tests. The sketches are scattered across the page in no apparent order, and lines are drawn with pencils of varying thickness. The decorative designs echo the geometry of the elements.

Fernández Martínez, Margarita, La arquitectura de Juan de Madrazo: análisis histórico y catalogación de su obra, Repositorio institucional Universidad San Pablo-CEU, 2025, p.323, 324, 326