Three women around an oval 

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created this drawing, "Three Women Around an Oval," now held in the Städel Museum, using pen and brown ink with wash, over traces of graphite. The composition immediately strikes us with its tripartite structure: two groups of figures flanking a significant void, an oval shape, which commands our attention. Tiepolo masterfully uses line and wash to create depth and volume. Notice how the figures on the left are rendered with denser, more assertive lines and richer washes, giving them a grounded, almost sculptural presence. In contrast, the figure on the right is sketched with a lighter touch, more ethereal. This contrast invites us to consider the semiotic weight of each group; the solid versus the transient. The oval, acting as a signifier of absence, disrupts any easy reading. It invites interpretation—perhaps a mirror, a window, or even a symbolic representation of the unknown. The women, caught in moments of contemplation or action, further complicate the narrative. Tiepolo's strategic use of formal elements creates a dynamic interplay between presence and absence, solidity and ethereality. The drawing challenges us to question what is seen, and what remains unseen.