Cupid Blindfolded, on a Cloud Supported by Two Attendant Putti 1767 - 1793

Editor: So, we are looking at Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo's "Cupid Blindfolded, on a Cloud Supported by Two Attendant Putti," dating from between 1767 and 1793. It is a drawing, and the overall feel is light and airy. What stands out to you about it? Curator: Well, consider the materials first. We're looking at ink and wash on paper, likely a quick, preparatory sketch. It emphasizes the artist's process. Think about Tiepolo's workshop: the production of drawings like these served not just as studies for larger works, but potentially as independent items for sale or patronage. How does the "sketchiness" here impact your understanding? Editor: That’s a great point! I hadn't considered its value as more than just a sketch. Knowing it may have been intended for sale changes how I see it. Does the subject matter, these classical figures, play into that commercial aspect? Curator: Absolutely. Cupid, the putti - they’re drawing on a tradition. But consider also the social context. This is late 18th century. The aristocracy consumed images of love and beauty. It wasn’t simply artistic expression, it was production for a specific market, reflecting class dynamics. The medium facilitated that: drawings were cheaper to produce and easier to circulate than paintings. Editor: So, even the choice of using a drawing as a medium reveals the social and economic relationships between the artist and his patrons. I had never really thought of art in terms of production like that. Curator: Exactly. And by focusing on process and materials, we disrupt the notion of "high art" as detached from the world. We bring it back to the labor, materiality, and consumption that underpins it. Editor: That makes me see Tiepolo’s work in a whole new light. Thinking about it as a product of labor and social context really deepens my understanding. Thanks! Curator: And for me, revisiting the piece with your perspective reminds me of the continued importance of interrogating these established ideas around artistic value.