Seated Women Holding Aloft a Sword, and Supported by Two Putti

Seated Women Holding Aloft a Sword, and Supported by Two Putti by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo is a dynamic example of 18th-century Venetian draftsmanship. Classified as a drawing, the piece showcases the artist's mastery of wash techniques over an initial structural outline. Tiepolo first used black chalk to establish the composition before defining the forms with pen and brown ink. Depth and volume are skillfully achieved through the application of a brush with varying tones of wash, ranging from pale yellow to dark brown, creating dramatic contrasts that define the musculature and drapery of the figures.

The composition centers on a group of imposing women figures, likely representing an allegorical subject, who collectively hold a single sword raised high above them. The figures are seated upon or flanked by two buoyant putti, classical attendants often used to symbolize triumph or strength. Tiepolo frequently utilized idealized women as powerful central subjects in his preparatory sketches, developing forms that would later appear in his grand-scale ceiling frescos and altarpieces.

This preparatory study, created during the span of Tiepolo's prolific career (1696-1770), demonstrates his swift, inventive method for developing complex group arrangements. The drawing currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Given its age and status as a significant historical drawing, the work often enters the public domain, ensuring that high-quality scans are accessible for scholarly review. Detailed prints derived from the original wash study allow viewers to examine the subtle layering of ink and chalk, offering direct insight into the Venetian master's creative process.