Standing Philosopher and Two Other Figures Possibly 1785

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo made "Standing Philosopher and Two Other Figures," using etching techniques sometime in the mid-18th century. Tiepolo was working during the height of the Enlightenment, a period marked by an emphasis on reason and individualism. But let’s think about who gets to be an individual in the 18th century? The figure of the philosopher, robed and bearded, has historically been coded as white and male. We see him standing, an active participant, while the other figures are passively reclining. What might it mean to center such a figure? Tiepolo’s etching engages with the construction of knowledge. Who has access to it? And who is excluded? What feelings do you have when you look at this image? Tiepolo asks us to question who is included and who is excluded from the pursuit of knowledge and philosophical inquiry.