ITALY

 

One of the first Italian artists to work in the new Rococo style was the Venetian Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734). a prolific draughtsman who spent much of his life travelling and developed developed a delicate, almost calligraphic style. Giambattista Piazzetta (1682/3-1754), the first director of the new Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, was known for his portrait drawings, as was Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757) whose pastels of Grand Tourists were particularly sought-after. Other famous Venetians were Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) who produced sketch-like engravings of real and imaginary buildings, and Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770) who employed a cool palette to create airy, light-filled scenes. Tiepolo’s son, Domenico (1727-1804), devoted himself entirely to drawing. Although Francisco Guardi (1712-1793) and Giovanni Antonio Canal (Canaletto) (1697-1768) are best known for painted vedute or city views, they too produced exquisite drawings.

 
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Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Head of a Young Man Wearing a Hat, 1725, black chalk heightened with white chalk, with stumping, Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Head of a Young Man Wearing a Hat, 1725, black chalk heightened with white chalk, with stumping, Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Marco Ricci, Landscape with a Winding River, 1676-1729, pen and brown ink, brown wash, on blue laid paper, altered to gray. New York, The Morgan Library and Museum.
Marco Ricci, Landscape with a Winding River, 1676-1729, pen and brown ink, brown wash, on blue laid paper, altered to gray. New York, The Morgan Library and Museum.
Rosalba Carriera, Self-Portrait as “Winter”, ca. 1730-1731, pastel on paper, Dresden, Gemäldegalerie.
Rosalba Carriera, Self-Portrait as “Winter”, ca. 1730-1731, pastel on paper, Dresden, Gemäldegalerie.
Rosalba Carriera Gustavus Hamilton, Second Viscount Boyne, in Masquerade Costume, ca. 1730-1731, pastel on paper, laid down on canvas, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Rosalba Carriera Gustavus Hamilton, Second Viscount Boyne, in Masquerade Costume, ca. 1730-1731, pastel on paper, laid down on canvas, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Sebastiano Ricci, Allegory with figures of Hope, Time and Death, 1659-1734, pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, over red and black chalk, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Sebastiano Ricci, Allegory with figures of Hope, Time and Death, 1659-1734, pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, over red and black chalk, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Giambattista Tiepolo, St Prosdocimus baptizing St Giustina, ca. 1734 – 1740, pen and bistre ink and wash, Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria.
Giambattista Tiepolo, St Prosdocimus baptizing St Giustina, ca. 1734 – 1740, pen and bistre ink and wash, Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria.
Canaletto, The Grand Canal, Venice, ca. 1738 – 1740, pen, pencil and ink on paper, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum.
Canaletto, The Grand Canal, Venice, ca. 1738 – 1740, pen, pencil and ink on paper, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum.
Francesco Guardi, The Piazzetta, Looking Toward San Giorgio Maggiore (recto), ca. 1712–1793, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Francesco Guardi, The Piazzetta, Looking Toward San Giorgio Maggiore (recto), ca. 1712–1793, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Canaletto, A Capriccio with a Monumental Staircase, ca. 1755 – 1760, pen and ink, with grey wash, over ruled and free pencil and pinpointing, London, The Royal Collection.
Canaletto, A Capriccio with a Monumental Staircase, ca. 1755 – 1760, pen and ink, with grey wash, over ruled and free pencil and pinpointing, London, The Royal Collection.
Giambattista Tiepolo, Seated Women Holding Aloft a Sword, and Supported by Two Putti, ca. 1696–1770, Pen and brown ink, brush with pale brown wash, black chalk, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Giambattista Tiepolo, Seated Women Holding Aloft a Sword, and Supported by Two Putti, ca. 1696–1770, Pen and brown ink, brush with pale brown wash, black chalk, New York, The Metropolitan Museum.
Francesco Zuccarelli, Landscape, grey-brown wash, white lead, black chalk on brown paper, 1779, Madrid, Museo del Prado.
Francesco Zuccarelli, Landscape, grey-brown wash, white lead, black chalk on brown paper, 1779, Madrid, Museo del Prado.
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Punchinello’s Children Begging for Sweets, No. 17 from the series Divertimento per li regazzi, ca.1800, pen and brown ink, San Francisco, Fine Arts Museums.
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Punchinello’s Children Begging for Sweets, No. 17 from the series Divertimento per li regazzi, ca.1800, pen and brown ink, San Francisco, Fine Arts Museums.

This is one of over 100 sketches telling the life of Punchinello, a character in the Commedia del’arte , a form of comic popular theatre which travelled to audiences around Italy and throughout Europe..