Head of a Philosopher 1758

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo painted this portrait, Head of a Philosopher, sometime in the 18th century. Tiepolo lived in an era of shifting social structures in Venice, a period defined by the transition from aristocracy to a more bourgeois society. The portrait is of a man, possibly a scholar, draped in what seems to be a heavy cloak. He is adorned with a decorative belt of sorts and wears a turban on his head. His gaze is averted, looking off to the side as if in deep contemplation. The philosopher is staged as an imposing figure, yet he seems to be lost in his thoughts. Tiepolo, while part of a family of artists catering to aristocratic tastes, had the unique ability to also capture the common man, his strengths, and his frailties. This ability to portray the pathos of humanity, combined with the grandiosity of the era, gives the portrait a particular kind of intimacy. The philosopher seems to be both a part and apart from the world.