Head of a Bishop

"Head of a Bishop" is an important drawing by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, executed sometime between 1739 and 1760. This intimate study of a religious figure, likely intended as preparatory work for a larger ceiling fresco or devotional painting, utilizes a layered technique highly characteristic of the artist's draftsmanship. The piece was created using pen and light brown ink and wash over preliminary black chalk, a method that allowed Tiepolo to quickly define volume, capture light, and establish the facial structure of the subject.

The subject, one of many studies of Bishops and high-ranking men Tiepolo produced, captures the sitter's dignity through swift, energetic lines. The careful application of wash modulates the light and shadow, defining the heavy folds of the bishop’s robes and the contours of the miter. Tiepolo, the preeminent Venetian artist of the late Baroque and Rococo periods, frequently populated his grand compositions with such detailed figures, and this drawing demonstrates his ability to imbue clerical portraiture with lively expression and dynamic texture.

The wide dating range places the work within the period of Tiepolo’s greatest international acclaim, spanning his major commissions for palaces across Venice and Würzburg. This delicate drawing is now housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a crucial reference point for understanding 18th-century Italian drawing traditions. As an influential example of the drawing classification, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has made this work accessible through the public domain, allowing scholars and enthusiasts globally to access high-resolution imagery. High-quality prints of this exceptional piece are now widely circulated, ensuring Tiepolo’s preparatory methods remain broadly known.