Male c. 1740s

"Male" is a pen and brown wash drawing by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo from the 1740s. The drawing captures a male figure in dynamic pose. The artist's signature style is evident in the expressive lines and the use of light and shadow to define form. The study is likely a preparatory drawing for a larger work, illustrating Tiepolo’s process of developing figure composition. This is a characteristic example of Tiepolo’s rapid, dynamic and elegant drawings of figures in motion, often used for his famous ceiling frescoes.