An Angel with a Book c. late 1740s

"An Angel with a Book" is a red chalk drawing by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, son of the renowned Venetian painter Giambattista Tiepolo. Created in the late 1740s, the drawing depicts an angel, likely representing an aspect of divine inspiration, holding a book and resting on a cloud. The work, now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, showcases the younger Tiepolo’s mastery of line and composition, echoing his father’s penchant for dynamism and theatrical gesture.