Scherzo di Fantasia: Two Standing Orientals and a Standing Youth with a Sword 1696 - 1770

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo made this ink and wash drawing in the mid-18th century. It’s a quick study, and a good example of a *scherzo*, a flight of artistic fancy. Tiepolo has used brown ink and wash, applied with a brush, to rapidly capture the figures. It is a quick and efficient process; you can almost see him thinking on the page. Notice how the translucence of the wash allows the white of the paper to show through, creating highlights and a sense of depth, while the darker ink defines the outlines and shadows. This use of materials is crucial to the work's character. Wash is inherently provisional, suggesting spontaneity and impermanence. Tiepolo was a master of grand illusionistic painting, but drawings like this remind us of the crucial role of process in his work. They serve as a reminder that all art, no matter how polished, begins with the direct application of material. This immediacy is what makes the drawing so appealing, collapsing any perceived hierarchy between the grand finished painting, and the humble sketch.