Satirical drawing: Artist Painting an Old Lady's Portrait
1729–1804
Medium
Pen and gray ink, brush and gray wash, and gray, brown, red, blue, yellow and green watercolor. Framing lines in pen and brown ink
Dimensions
10 7/8 x 15 7/16in. (27.7 x 39.2cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Harry G. Sperling, 1971
Accession Number
1975.131.39
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Pietro Antonio Novelli's *Satirical Drawing: Artist Painting an Old Lady Portrait* (ca. 1729–1804) captures the whimsical spirit of 18th-century Venetian art with sharp wit and technical finesse. Novelli, a versatile Italian draftsman and engraver associated with the Rococo style, delighted in poking fun at everyday vanities through his intricate drawings. This piece, executed in pen and gray ink with brush and gray wash, heightened by vibrant watercolors in gray, brown, red, blue, yellow, and green, showcases his mastery of mixed media on paper. The framing lines in pen and brown ink add a polished, print-like quality, hinting at its potential as a preparatory work for etching or a standalone caricature. At 10 7/8 x 15 7/16 inches, the drawing humorously depicts an artist at his easel, attentively portraying an old lady—a classic trope satirizing the flattery inherent in portraiture. Such scenes reflect the cultural fascination with self-image during the Enlightenment era, when commissions for likenesses were both status symbols and opportunities for exaggeration. Novelli's use of colorful washes brings lively contrast to the monochromatic ink, emphasizing expressions and details with playful exaggeration. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Harry G. Sperling, 1971), this work exemplifies the satirical tradition in European graphic arts, bridging fine art and popular commentary. Visitors will appreciate its lighthearted critique of artistry and aging, inviting a chuckle amid the museum's grand collections.
About the Artist
Pietro Antonio Novelli · 1729–1804
**Pietro Antonio Novelli (1729–1804)** Pietro Antonio Novelli, a prolific Venetian painter, draughtsman, and engraver, trained under the esteemed Jacopo Amigoni and in the studio of Giambattista Pittoni, absorbing influences from Gaspare Diziani and Francesco Guardi. In 1768, he gained membership in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia with his reception piece, *Allegory of the Arts*. Early in ...