Tiepolo is known for his history based frescos and large scale paintings, which he created all throughout Italy, and far beyond to places like Sweden and Germany. Words that can be, and are often associated with his work include: contorted, expressive, dynamic, emotive, and highly imaginative.
The man behind the artwork, fully identified as Giambattista Tiepolo, was born in the year 1690 in Venice. Tiepolo stayed in Italy for a large portion of his life, as his family raised him in Venice, he began his studies in painting in Venice, and later in his life he secured employment and lived within Italy.
His first painting lessons were with a history painter named Lazzarini. Lazzarini was well read and knowledgeable in the subjects of both mythology and architecture. His work ethic, often described as slow and diligent, combined with his eye for detail and perspective made him a lasting model of the past well-trained and competent artists. Tiepolo was considered both an etcher and a draftsman before he became a trained painter, and drew a large variety of sketches because they allowed him to easily express his ideas. In contrast to Lazzarini’s slow, grounded approach to work, Tiepolo worked stretched possibilities, worked quickly and was highly intrigued by the expressive, colorful, full-bodied figures of Veronese (a well known Italian painter of the 16th century). Despite Lazzarini and Tiepolo’s differing approaches to creating works of art, Tiepolo’s time with Lazzarini provided him with a solid technical foundation, connections with some patronages, as well as knowledge of both mythology and history.
Tiepolo’s knowledge of mythology and history stayed with him and he continued to paint large-scale paintings and frescos that depicted epic heroes or portions of history. His interest in Veronese was resonant in a lot of his work and he became known to some as “Veronese” reborn. Tiepolo was described as a man with a highly imaginative mind, a great sense of vigor and determination, prolific, and hard working. His imaginative mind can be seen in many of his works that depict larger than life scenes, far away lands, a great deal of humor and a wide range of color; however, despite his somewhat whimsical pieces they all mirrored what he saw in his common day realities. As an artist, he worked up until the day he died. He was constantly commissioned or determined to have a commission. His work, at first exclusive to Italy, in time extended to places like Sweden, Germany and Italy, and he eventually became an extensive traveler due to his commissions.
His sons, known and Domenico and Lorenzo frequently helped his father, Tiepolo with his commissions. The two of them accompanied and helped Tiepolo with his what became is last commission in Spain, as it was during this commission that he died suddenly to sickness.
Tiepolo’s highly imaginative, realistic, colorful, dynamic, large, history-preserving works are a core part of the art world and are terribly influential to the development of Western art.
The Adoration of the Magi, Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany
405 x 211cm, oil on canvas, 1753
Banquet of Cleopatra, Pallazo Labia, Venice
fresco, 1745-50, National Gallery of Victoria, on palace wall
America - Apollo and the Continents, Residenz, WurzburgWurzburg: Residenz Palace Kaisersaal, mural painting/fresco
Africa - Apollo and the Continents, Residenz, WurzburgWurzburg: Residenz Palace Kaisersaal, mural painting/fresco
Europe - Apollo and the Continents, Residenz, WurzburgWurzburg: Residenz Palace Kaisersaal, mural painting/fresco
Rinaldo leaving Armida, Villa Valmarana, Venice, fresco, 1757
Truimph of Spain (The Wealth and Benefits of the Spanish Monarchy)Royal Palace, Madrid/ Ceiling, Throne Room, Palacio Real (Palacio de Oriente), Madrid,
Spain 1764, fresco painting
5 comments:
Besides the amazing perspective portrayed I notice the differences in gender between human and divine. Besides one lady in the bottom right corner there seem to be more men represented in the lower human portion of the painting and more women in the heavens.
This artist paints with so much larger than life emotion. It was very fun to look at his work and I do wonder if he ever offended someone who commissioned him to do a work...simply just curious aobut that, I am also more curious about his life as a person because it appears that he was an extremely highly motivated and good spirited painter. His family see to hold together strongly despite his extensive traveling and according to books his sons to became generally well known painters/artists in their own individual right. It would be neat to read autobiographies or a daily jornlas from Tiepolo's sons, or even from his own life and travels.
Tiepolo's works always seems to show scenes in which there is a lot of activity. The figures appear to be posing, however they seem to be posing in the middle of completing an action toward someone else in the painting. Many of his paintings have a beige/yellow tone as their most constant color. I like that he varies the point of view of many of his paintings. The Banquet of Cleopatra shows a straight on view, while The Adoration of the Magi and the Triumph of Spain shows a view from below the subjects.
The energy in his paintings is enhanced by having the characters entering and exiting the limit of the frame. Almost like a stage; particularly noticable in the Wurtzburg staircase commission. His finest pieces, a Venitian commission, are in the Metropolitan: the siege of Carthage and two Roman battles with Scipio.
The energy in his paintings is enhanced by having the characters entering and exiting the limit of the frame. Almost like a stage; particularly noticable in the Wurtzburg staircase commission. His finest pieces, a Venitian commission, are in the Metropolitan: the siege of Carthage and two Roman battles with Scipio.
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