Caricature of a Man in a Voluminous Cloak, Carrying a Walking Stick, Seen from Behind

Art Historical Context

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, virtuoso of Venetian Rococo, masterminded grand frescoes across Europe, from palaces in Würzburg to Madrid's royal residences. Yet this intimate caricature from around 1760 reveals his playful side. Titled *Caricature of a in a Voluminous Clo, Carrying a Walking Stick Seen from Behind*, it a rotund figure striding away, his enormous cloak billowing comically like a sail, walking stick in hand—a witty exaggeration of everyday eccentricity. Executed in pen and dark brown ink with brown wash on a modest 7 5/16 x 4 13/16 inches (18.5 x 12.2 cm) sheet, the work showcases Tiepolo's fluid draftsmanship. The ink lines dance with energy, while the wash adds depth and shadow, heightening the humor through dramatic volume and silhouette. Such caricatures, often quick sketches, highlight his versatility beyond monumental commissions, blending satire with masterful observation. Housed in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1975, this drawing invites us to appreciate Tiepolo's lighter touch late in his career. It captures 18th-century Venetian wit, reminding visitors that even giants of Baroque grandeur indulged in laughter.

About the Artist

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo · 1696–1770

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) stands as the greatest decorative painter of eighteenth-century Europe, a Venetian master whose luminous frescoes and dynamic compositions defined the Rococo era's aesthetic zenith. Born in Venice on March 5, 1696, to a modest shipping merchant family, Tiepolo's extraordinary talent transcended his humble origins to establish him as the most sought-after artis...