Virtue Crowning a Bearded Man 1696 - 1770

Curator: Ah, another gem from the master, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. This drawing, dating back to the late 17th or early 18th century, is called "Virtue Crowning a Bearded Man." It's rendered in pen, ink, and wash. Editor: You know, there's a beautiful fluidity to it; even though the subject is weighty, about virtue and honour, there's a lightness to the sketch, almost like catching a fleeting thought on paper. Curator: Indeed. Tiepolo, as you see, excelled at imbuing even serious subjects with dynamism. Consider the allegorical nature, a classic Baroque trait. Editor: Baroque and buoyant. This isn't stiff virtue; it's virtue caught mid-flight! It has that almost ethereal feel, perhaps heightened by the sepia wash...Makes it timeless. Curator: The setting as well. Observe how the institutional context during Tiepolo's time influences its subject matter. Then, we see the visual language favored by academies shaping public virtue. He has embedded this work, in ways that may have been more obviously partisan then, in ideas circulating throughout Venetian culture. Editor: True! I get a definite "old master" vibe here, but not in a boring way. And it's like there's a hint of something contemporary creeping in... a certain dramatic flair! It speaks across the centuries, that struggle between ambition and virtue, knowledge, isn't it? And what's fascinating is Tiepolo lets the image hang in mid-air; it's not a fully worked-out piece; that owl observing silently from its architectural perch is pretty witty, almost ironic. Curator: Indeed. I think this work illustrates a public, historical engagement and that is just wonderful. The drawing resonates so well across the social spectrum. The virtues are something people would recognize easily. Editor: Exactly! The beauty of accessing these narratives which are very public; virtues being a kind of visual theater! You can think of the contemporary art audience thinking; What are our virtues? Is this still relevant? Is it all theatre, this Virtue performance?! Curator: A pertinent and eternal set of inquiries about values through his artwork! I believe our audience may be able to take this into future discussions. Editor: Absolutely! It plants the seed, doesn't it? We see that spark of humanity, striving. And sometimes succeeding. Maybe!