Caricature of a Man in a Mask and a Tricorne, Standing in Profile to the Left 1755 - 1765

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the sharp wit conveyed in this figure; the accentuated features create a palpable sense of mockery. Editor: That's an astute observation. Here we have "Caricature of a Man in a Mask and a Tricorne, Standing in Profile to the Left," a drawing made with pen and brown wash, likely dating between 1755 and 1765 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The political context in which these kinds of artworks were circulating is also really crucial, I think, in really understanding how viewers in the late eighteenth century would interpret images of elite male figures. Curator: Yes, Tiepolo's skill in capturing the essence of a character through just a few lines is remarkable. Notice the exaggerated nose and the almost mournful droop of the mouth, counterpointed by the jaunty angle of the tricorne. It's all about line and form. The interplay between the lines is fantastic. Editor: Absolutely. It’s interesting to consider that this form of caricature emerged as a tool of social critique. Figures in positions of power could be mocked with a sense of anonymity. Who are we laughing at, exactly? The work raises questions about identity and representation. We might never know. Curator: It speaks to the artist's virtuosity. The restricted color scheme actually strengthens the viewer's attention to the caricature's outlines and the general design's elegance. Editor: The power of these drawings comes, in part, from their accessibility. Prints were distributed widely, so their effects reached an expansive audience. Tiepolo’s work reveals much about the cultural and class anxieties percolating through the elite in Venice at the time. This really underscores how the circulation of images, satire, and the public sphere have all been dynamically intertwined for centuries. Curator: Ultimately, this caricature serves as a superb example of the visual economy used to communicate so effectively through minimal, yet deliberate, expression. Editor: Right. This wasn’t just whimsical fun. Tiepolo used a comedic artistic language as a window onto a world in great transition.