Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

New York, Seiferheld and Company, Master Drawings, Paintings, Gouaches, Watercolors, Autumn 1968, no. 28, reproduced

Reproduced in an article by John Canaday in the New York Times, reviewing the Seiferheld and other exhibitions (n.d.)

Sold in attractive wooden gilded frame. Appears to be a fragment of a larger sheet that was cut down some time ago. The lower right corner cut and made up. Stains in the upper corners, possibly oil (see catalogue illustration). Some slight ink sketches on the verso. The drawing appears to have been window mounted at some stage as there are tiny traces of glue on the margins of the verso. The brown wash is stronger than appears in the catalogue illustration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This vigorous and freely drawn figure seems to differ from the numerous Giambattista studies which came from an album titled sole figure per soffitti in the Cheney collection. The chalk underdrawing and indication of another figure to the left suggests that this is more likely to be a working drawing connected to a specific project. Such bearded old men appear as figures of Time or as River Gods or more rarely as religious figures. The note in the Sieferheld catalogue mentions a similar drawing in the Louvre.