A Standing Oriental Wearing a Greatcoat

A Standing Oriental Wearing a Greatcoat by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo is a powerful example of the Venetian master’s late drawing style, executed between 1753 and 1762. Classified as a drawing, the work is rendered using pen and brown ink with brown wash on laid paper, a technique that allowed Tiepolo to quickly define form and volume through expressive lines and subtle shading. This period, falling squarely within the years 1751 to 1775, marks the final flowering of the Rococo tradition in the Italian peninsula, shortly before the artist departed for Spain.

The subject, defined by his heavy greatcoat and distinctive attire, exemplifies the recurring interest in character studies, or macchiette, found across Tiepolo’s extensive oeuvre. These figures, often labeled as ‘Oriental’ or exotic, frequently served as visual stock characters or preparatory ideas for much larger fresco cycles, although many were appreciated independently as complete studies. Tiepolo masterfully employs the rich brown wash to establish deep shadows and highlights, creating dramatic contrasts that endow the figure with weight and monumentality despite the drawing’s intimate scale. The rapid, sure handling of the pen lines conveys the texture of the fabric and the posture of the man, illustrating the artist’s unparalleled virtuosity in summarizing complex human forms.

As a significant piece demonstrating the breadth of Tiepolo’s skill beyond large-scale mural painting, the work resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. The careful preservation of this original artifact ensures that modern scholars can examine the working methods of this important Italian artist. While the drawing itself is unique, studies from this era were sometimes reproduced as high-quality prints, contributing to Tiepolo’s wide-reaching influence across 18th-century Europe. This drawing remains a crucial document for understanding the figural types and stylistic conventions that defined his output during the critical years of 1751 to 1775.