Caricature: An Elderly Couple

Caricature: An Elderly Couple, created by the influential Venetian master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, is a sophisticated example of the artist’s prolific practice of drawing on paper. Classified formally as a drawing, the work utilizes a complex combination of media: fluid pen and dark brown ink applied alongside a careful application of brush and brown wash. The foundational preparatory work, likely executed in leadpoint or black chalk, remains visible beneath the surface layers, providing depth and structure to the rapid, expressive lines. This particular piece focuses on the subjects of an elderly man and woman, rendered as a closely observed couple.

Throughout the mid-18th century, Tiepolo regularly created such drawings, which functioned primarily as private studies, witty exercises in observation, or perhaps as independent works of art rather than preparatory sketches for his grand frescos or oil paintings. The deliberate exaggeration of facial features and posture transforms the subjects into a lively caricature, highlighting the artist's keen interest in physiognomy and distinctive character types popular in the era. The portrayal of the distinct personalities of both the man and the woman exemplifies Tiepolo’s masterful ability to convey human emotion through minimal, deliberate application of ink and wash.

This significant example of 18th-century Italian draftsmanship is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Given Tiepolo's death date of 1770, this drawing is firmly established within the public domain, which facilitates its study and distribution. High-quality art prints of this character study are frequently accessed by scholars interested in the artist's drawing techniques and his role in the development of Venetian Rococo.