Caliph Aladin and His Counselors

late 1730s

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

Associated Names
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

Artist, Italian, 1683 - 1754

The image is a sketch showing multiple figures and partial studies. To the left, there is a seated figure depicted from the waist up. This figure is draped in flowing garments and appears to be wearing a turban. The face is lightly sketched, with a hint of a beard and contemplative expression. Nearby, several sketches of individual hands and faces are drawn in various orientations. To the right, a standing figure is drawn from the waist up, dressed in a long coat with elaborate designs and a prominent tall hat, facing to the side. The facial features of this figure are minimally detailed. The sketch is composed on a plain, light background, with subtle stains and marks visible. The illustrations appear to be done in pencil with some red markings on the bottom left. The overall scene is one of an artist's exploration of form and figure.

Media Options

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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Julius S. Held

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1979

  • Master Drawings from the Collection of Ingrid and Julius S. Held, The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown; traveling exhibition, 1979, no. 24.

1995

  • The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1995.

1997

  • Building a Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997-1998, no. 49.

Bibliography

1983

  • Knox 1983, 76.

Wikidata ID

Q64572334

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