Turk Seen from Behind, Three-Quarter View of an Old Man with a Beard, Bearded Old Man with a Hat, Profile of an Old Man with a Hat
Medium
Four etchings on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
117 × 78 mm (image, upper left); 122 × 82 mm (plate, upper left); 122 × 90 mm (image, upper right); 124 × 92 mm (plate, upper right); 123 × 89 mm (image, lower left); 126 × 94 mm (plate, lower left); 132 × 90 mm (image, lower right); 125 × 92 mm (plate, lower right); 545 × 387 mm (sheet)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
128377
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
In the Prints and Drawings department of the Institute of Chicago, visitors a captivating set of four etchings by Giovanni Domenico Tolo, created in 1775. Titled *Turk Seen from Behind, Three-Quarter View of an Old Man with a Beard,arded Old Man with a, Profile of an Old with a Hat*, these works on ivory laid paper measure roughly 117–132 mm in image size each, united on a larger 545 × 387 mm. As the son of the famed Venetian master Giambattista Tiepolo, Domenico carried forward the Rococo tradition of lively draftsmanship into printmaking, blending elegance with keen observation. Etching allowed Tiepolo to masterfully render the textures of aged faces—wrinkled skin, flowing beards, and textured hats—with fluid lines and subtle tonal variations etched into metal plates. These character studies evoke 18th-century Europe's fascination with exotic "types," such as the turbaned figure glimpsed from behind, reflecting Orientalist influences in Venetian art amid Venice's role as a cosmopolitan port. The compact scale invites close viewing, revealing Domenico's skill in capturing dignity and individuality in everyday subjects. This ensemble highlights Tiepolo's prowess as a printmaker, bridging his father's grand frescoes with more accessible graphic works. A delightful glimpse into late Rococo portraiture, it reminds us how etchings preserved fleeting human moments for generations of admirers.
About the Artist
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo · 1727–1804
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804) was a Venetian painter, printmaker, and draftsman whose career spanned the twilight of the Rococo era. Born on August 30, 1727, in Venice as the eldest son of the celebrated Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, he worked both in his father's shadow and as a significant independent artist who developed a distinctly earthbound and humanistic vision. Domenico's importance...