Standing Man in a Full Coat and High Hat with a Medaillon

Art Historical Context

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (6–1770), one of Venice's greatest Rococo masters, captured the elegance of 18th-century fashion in this lively drawing, *Standing Man in a Full and High Hat with aaillon*. Created with pen and dark brown inkented by brush and brown, the intimate sheet measures just 9-3/8 x 5-7/8 inches, showcasing Tiepolo's skill in rapid, expressive figure studies. The dapper gentleman stands confidently in a voluminous coat and tall hat, a medallion gleaming at his chest—likely a preparatory sketch for one of Tiepolo's grand frescoes or theatrical scenes. Tiepolo's technique here exemplifies his Rococo flair: fluid, calligraphic lines define the pose with dynamic energy, while subtle brown washes model form and shadow, evoking volume and movement on a small scale. These drawings were essential to his workflow, serving as models for assistants or references in vast ceiling paintings that adorned palaces across Europe, from Würzburg to Madrid. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department through the bequest of Walter C. Baker in 1971, this work offers a glimpse into Tiepolo's world of aristocratic splendor and artistic virtuosity, inviting us to appreciate the artistry behind his monumental legacy.

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...