Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Venice 1696-1770 Madrid)

Giovanni Battista’s caricature drawings built on a tradition that can be traced to Annibale Carracci, who popularized the genre, and to Guercino who further developed it. Unlike some of the drawings produced by earlier artists, Giovanni Battista’s drawings often depict types, like a lawyer or a priest, rather than individuals. Most of Tiepolo’s caricature drawings have their corners cut as they were removed from albums. One of these albums, titled Tomo terzo de caricature, was sold at Christie’s, London, 9 April 1943, lot 244, and contained 106 drawings. George Knox has dated these drawings to 1754-1762, a date which may also be applied to the present drawing. Knox also pointed out that there also must have been a Tomo primo and Tomo secondo with caricature drawings. Although these seem to have been lost, a catalogue from 1854 of the Algarotti-Corniani Collection did list ‘due grossi libri’ which contained ‘una copiosa collezione di disegni umoristici del Tiepolo’ (G. Knox, Tiepolo. A Bicentenary Exhibition, exhib. cat., Cambridge, Fogg Art Museum, 1970, under no. 87).