Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Two Nude Figures Foreshortened

c. 1752-1753
The sharp perspective and low vantage point of this drawing suggest that it was preparatory for an illusionistic ceiling painting - indeed, it is similar to other sketches identified as ideas for ceilings. The fish implies that its bearer was a marine deity. There is a slight resemblance between this duo and a group that appears amid the throng in Giambattista's fresco above the grand staircase of the Bishop's Palace in Wurzburg.
Title
Two Nude Figures Foreshortened
Date
c. 1752-1753
Medium
Drawing
Materials
pen and brown ink with brown wash over graphite on laid paper, laid down on laid paper, laid down on cardboard
Dimensions
15.8 x 13.2 cm irregular
Nationality
Italian
Credit line
Purchased 1938
Accession number
4438