Sheet of Studies; Five Angels 1696 - 1770

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo made this sketch of five angels using pen and brown ink wash over graphite in the 18th century. Tiepolo was a master of the grand, decorative style known as the Venetian Rococo. But the Rococo wasn't just about pretty surfaces; it reflected the social and political climate of its time. This was an era of aristocratic excess and the decline of the old feudal order across Europe. The Catholic church was still a powerful institution. But it was facing new challenges from the Enlightenment and the rise of scientific thinking. Tiepolo's angel sketches would have been informed by religious doctrine. But you might want to consider the extent to which they also reflect the artist's engagement with contemporary debates about faith, reason, and the changing role of the church in society. A close look at his preparatory drawings, and the social history of Venice itself, are just two resources that can enrich our understanding of this artwork.