Head of an Old Man
Artist: Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (Italian, 1727-1804)
Date: about 1757-1775
Dimensions:
Painting: 18 5/8 × 16 in. (47.3 × 40.6 cm)
Frame: 24 1/2 × 22 1/4 × 2 in. (62.2 × 56.5 × 5.1 cm)
Medium: oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1926.51
Label Text:After 1750, the artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo made a series of paintings and drawings of heads that have been characterized as “Philosopher Portraits.” These heads were later etched for wider distribution by Tiepolo’s son, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, the artist who painted Toledo’s Head of an Old Man. In fact, Domenico painted at least 10 canvases after the etchings he made of his father’s work, though distinguished by the larger scale of the head and the omission of details such as hands and accessories.
This portrait does not depict a specific person, but rather an imaginary philosopher from the East. The intense gaze of the old man, expressive application of paint, and strong contrasts of light and dark combine to create an intriguing, exotic image of a man of intellect.
This portrait does not depict a specific person, but rather an imaginary philosopher from the East. The intense gaze of the old man, expressive application of paint, and strong contrasts of light and dark combine to create an intriguing, exotic image of a man of intellect.
On view
In Collection(s)