quadratuurisesti

Quadratuurisesti is Finnish an adverb used to describe doing something in the style of quadratura, a term from Baroque painting and architectural illusionism. It refers to the creation or use of painted architectural elements to extend or transform space, typically on ceilings or walls, so that the painted scene appears to be part of real architecture.

The word derives from quadratura, rooted in Italian and Latin, meaning squaring or alignment, but in art-historical usage it denotes a technique where perspective, foreshortening, and fictive architecture are employed to produce a trompe-l’oeil effect. A person or work described as quadratuurisesti executed aims to simulate three-dimensional architectural space within a flat surface.

In practice, quadratuurisesti pertains to a broader tradition of quadratura, sometimes also called illusionistic or architectural painting. It is most closely associated with Baroque interiors where painted ceilings and lunettes create the impression of open skies, distant galleries, or extended rooms. Painters and studios known as quadraturisti contributed to these effects, often in collaboration with scenic or figure painters. A canonical example is the ceiling of the Church of Sant’Ignazio in Rome, painted by Andrea Pozzo, which exemplifies the illusionistic goals of quadratura.

Today, the term is mainly encountered in art-historical Finnish writing and discussions of Baroque aesthetics. It is relatively rare in general discourse outside scholarly contexts, where it may be used to describe works or techniques that deliberately imitate architectural space through painting. See also quadratura, trompe-l’oeil, and perspective in art.