Figures and Faces c. 1750

Editor: This is Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo's "Figures and Faces," a pen and wash drawing from around 1750. There’s something wonderfully fluid about it, a sense of capturing fleeting expressions. I'm really drawn to how immediate and unfiltered it feels. What strikes you most about this drawing? Curator: Immediate, unfiltered – I love how you put that! It's like a peek into Tiepolo's sketchbook. For me, it's the life force within each line. You almost feel the artist wrestling with form, searching, defining. The Baroque period relished drama, and though these are sketches, that theatricality persists, doesn’t it? Editor: It definitely does, it almost seems like they're acting, as if the poses could come from the stage. Why focus on studies like these, as opposed to finished paintings? Curator: Ah, the question of process! Sketches such as "Figures and Faces" allow Tiepolo to explore various characters and poses. I find they almost function as thought experiments, each telling their own mini-narrative. The faces are aged, like characters pulled from mythology. The flowing ink feels as lively as theater. Does that resonate with your impressions? Editor: It does! It really reframes how I see the 'finished' artworks. These feels like their very lively origins, as studies for major projects, perhaps. Thank you! Curator: It has been a true joy sharing my thoughts!