Provenance:
– France, private collection
Bibliography:
– Detlev Baron Von Hadeln, *The Drawings of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo*, Volume I, The Pegasus Press, Paris, 1928
– Hélène Gasnault, Giulia Longo, *Les Tiepolo: invention et virtuosité à Venise*, [exhibition catalogue], Beaux-Arts de Paris, Cabinet des dessins et des estampes Jean Bonna, 22 March – 30 June 2024, Paris: Beaux-Arts de Paris éditions: Ministère de la Culture, 2024
– William Barcham, *Tiepolo’s Pictorial Imagination: Drawings for Palazzo Clerici, The Annual Thaw Lecture 2016*, New York, NY: Drawing Institute, The Morgan Library & Museum, 2017
— -
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s artistic genius was born in Venice. From an early age, he demonstrated a particular attraction to drawing and painting. He was therefore sent to apprentice with Gregorio Lazzarini (1655–1730), a renowned painter of the city. Little information is available regarding the period between the start and the completion of his training at the age of 23 when he married Cecilia Guardi, sister of the famous *veduta* painter. His early works already reveal an innate talent for the precise depiction of figures and a brightened palette, in stark contrast to the art of Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1682–1754), who had fascinated him a few years earlier.
Operating within an aristocratic milieu, his work highlights the carefree atmosphere that prevailed in 18th-century Venetian society. Praised for his audacity and prolific imagination, Tiepolo elevated the art of grand decorative painting to its highest level. Commissioned to work in Udine, Milan, Bergamo, Vicenza, and Verona, among other places, his numerous prestigious projects allowed him to acquire several private estates, particularly in the Venetian province.
Leaving Veneto for Lombardy, Tiepolo, still only thirty-five years old, painted in Milan. He was commissioned to decorate the ceilings of a house on Via Olmetto, owned by the Archinto family since the early 18th century. Around the middle of 1740, he received commissions for the Palazzo Clerici and Palazzo Dugnani. This second stay in Milan lasted three years due to the sheer number of commissions he received, executed either alone or with a few pupils. The palace on Via Clerici, now home to the Civil Tribunal, had belonged to Carlo Visconti since 1653 before being purchased by Dr. Carlo Clerici. In 1736, it became the property of Marshal Giorgio Antonio Clerici, who was keen to restore it into a sumptuous residence. To achieve this, he chose the most celebrated Venetian painter of the time.
On a vault spanning more than 22 meters in length and 5 meters in width, Tiepolo created *The Course of the Sun*. Phaeton’s chariot soars forward, accompanied by Mercury and Aurora, in a dazzling whirl of drapery reminiscent of Veronese’s *The Triumph of Venice*. Light, both the centerpiece and subject of the composition, is depicted as the embodiment of intellect. This bold composition blends modern civilization with antique references, featuring an array of trompe-l’œil figures and architectural elements. The decorative scheme is punctuated by *grisaille* fauns and faunesses, positioned in the spandrels and framing a pediment (*ill. 1*).
For such ambitious projects, Tiepolo produced numerous sketches. Our drawing likely served as inspiration for the poses of these hybrid creatures. His extraordinary inventive ability has yielded several studies of fauns—a theme he revisited multiple times yet always reinvented—one of the finest examples of which is preserved at the Beaux-Arts de Paris (*ill. 2*). Some sketches can be directly linked to fresco decorations, while others are regarded as pure graphic exercises, serving as a repertoire of forms for potential future projects.
Our sheet highlights the remarkable modernity of Tiepolo’s art during the decade 1740–1750, considered the most prolific period of his graphic work. The artist pushed beyond the superficial conventions of the exuberant Rococo style, achieving a powerful plasticity through his sketches. In painting, his brush was agile and dynamic, following a tradition rooted in inventive refinement and the beauty of forms. In drawing, his rapid, expressive line demonstrates an economy of means, seeking to render a brilliant light by accentuating the intensity of shadows. Our sheet thus reveals outstanding technical qualities: joyous figures with supple contours rendered in wash. This technique enhances the effects of contrast and depth while also producing an evanescent, vibrant effect, instantly creating a vaporous atmosphere characteristic of the artist’s touch.
Amid the decorative splendor that defined 18th-century Venetian art, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo distinguished himself through the refinement and grace of his subjects. With an overflowing and adventurous imagination, he cultivated a sense of grandeur, leaving his mark on sumptuous residences whose meticulous preservation reminds us today that each of his works is a lesson in erudition.
His fame extended beyond Italy, notably to Germany, where he was invited to decorate the Würzburg Residence. There, he created a spectacular fresco spanning more than 30 meters in length, illuminating the grand staircase—a crowning achievement of his career.
**M.O.**
