Design for a Ceiling (recto); Bearded Man Standing (verso) 1696 - 1770

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created "Design for a Ceiling" using pen and brown ink with brown wash on paper. Tiepolo was among the most celebrated painters of his time. The period was marked by the fading of the Venetian Republic, and the rise of new social structures. Here we see the artist navigate themes of power and mythology, rendered with a distinct lightness. The sketch presents winged figures amid swirling clouds, hinting at narratives of apotheosis and grandeur, concepts often linked to masculine ideals of heroism and dominance. Yet, Tiepolo’s delicate lines and the airy wash soften the traditional bravado associated with such scenes. The figures seem caught in a moment of ethereal suspension, challenging the rigid hierarchies of his time. Tiepolo's work invites us to consider the complexities of representing power. It questions how artists can both uphold and subtly subvert the visual languages of authority, offering a glimpse into the shifting sands of identity during a period of profound social change.