Currently not on view
Caricature of a standing fat man in a cap, facing left
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1696–1770; born Venice, Italy; died Madrid, Spain
x1948-879
This pen and wash drawing by the Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo shows the well-established tradition of choosing a profile view for a caricature in order to maximize the exaggeration of a figure’s features and dimensions. In this drawing, the figure’s curved nose complements his robust midsection revealed by his stance and tugging robe. Tiepolo’s careful application of wash to create subtle lighting effects is evident on the figures’ bodies and in their cast shadows.
Information
Title
Caricature of a standing fat man in a cap, facing left
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brown wash on cream laid paper
Dimensions
18 x 11.4 cm (7 1/16 x 4 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Dan Fellows Platt, Class of 1895
Object Number
x1948-879
Culture
Type
Subject
Handwritten note: "Purchased by Platt from Nebehay, 1931".;
- George Knox, "Drawings by Giambattista and Domenico Tiepolo at Princeton", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 23, no. 1 (1964): p. 2-28., p. 8, no. 2; p. 12 (illus.)
- Caricature and its role in graphic satire: an exhibition by the Department of Art, Brown University, at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, April 7 through May 9, 1971, (Providence, RI: Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 1971). , no. 37
- Felton Gibbons, Catalogue of Italian Drawings in The Art Museum, Princeton University, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1977).
