Caricature of a Fat Person Wearing a Long Cloak and a Tricorne, Seen from Behind 1755 - 1765

Editor: So, this is "Caricature of a Fat Person Wearing a Long Cloak and a Tricorne, Seen from Behind" by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, from around the 1760s. It's an ink drawing. The perspective is definitely unusual! What strikes you most about this caricature? Curator: Ah, yes. The backside view – so bold, isn’t it? And that’s the genius, I think. We're not invited to meet the gaze, to flatter the ego. Instead, we're confronted with a kind of...imposing absence. It almost feels confrontational in its casualness. Like catching a glimpse of someone unexpectedly. Editor: Confrontational, but almost... affectionate, too? Curator: Precisely! The gentle curve of the cloak suggests both pomp and vulnerability. Do you get a sense of place or story? Does this suggest someone’s arrogance or another person’s playful perception of a familiar figure? What might be happening in their world, in this fleeting moment? The humor’s built from our assumptions, isn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. The hat, the cloak – they signal status, but the execution makes them appear almost absurd. Is he mocking the establishment? Curator: Mocking? Perhaps. Or perhaps playfully puncturing the balloon of self-importance. Tiepolo doesn't necessarily tear down, but prompts us to question. And that, I think, is the more profound act of wit. Think about where this drawing sits culturally in that period, can you relate the idea of “the Grand Tourist”? Editor: It really does change how I see the image. I appreciate its… vulnerability now. Curator: Indeed! We began with derision, maybe, and end with… what? Empathy? Editor: Definitely a fresh perspective. I won't see caricatures the same way again.