Head of a young man c. 1745

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta made this study of a young man's head using charcoal and white chalk on paper. Look closely, and you can see how Piazzetta built up the image through layers of shading, a technique rooted in the traditions of academic drawing, yet applied here with a real sense of immediacy. The charcoal gives the drawing a velvety texture, while the chalk adds highlights that make the figure seem to emerge from the toned paper. Drawings like this were not only studies for larger paintings, but were also made as independent works of art, sold to collectors. In Piazzetta's time, there was a growing market for such pieces, reflecting a shift in artistic production towards more commercial models. This drawing reveals the artist's skill and sensitivity to materials, elevating what might seem a simple study to a work of art in its own right. It reminds us of the importance of process and context in understanding the full meaning of an artwork.