A Young Boy Wearing a Plumed Hat, and a Young Girl 1735 - 1740

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta made this drawing of a boy and a girl using charcoal and white chalk on grey paper. Piazzetta was working in Venice in the first half of the 18th century, a time when the city was declining as a political power but was becoming a popular destination for wealthy tourists. The plumed hat worn by the boy in the drawing is not just a fashion statement; it's a cultural symbol. In 18th-century Venice, hats like these were often associated with the upper classes and suggested a certain level of status. But Piazzetta was more interested in depicting the lives of ordinary people and challenging social hierarchies with imagery that evoked a sense of common humanity. Drawings like this one were made to be sold to collectors or used as models in the artist's workshop. Understanding the art market and workshop practices is crucial to understanding the social conditions that shaped artistic production at this time. We can learn more through archival research, studying auction catalogues, and reading artists' biographies. By understanding the social and institutional context, we gain a deeper understanding of the artwork's meaning and significance.