Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta established his international reputation as a talented draftsman very early in his career. Though known as a slow painter, he was able to draw quickly enough to produce large finished head studies, known as têtes de caractère, which were very much in demand from collectors and connoisseurs. These captivating and beautiful drawings of heads and half figures were intended as works of art in their own right to be framed and displayed on walls alongside painted compositions. Most were executed in black and white chalk on blue paper. The popularity of Piazzetta's head studies grew when his work attracted the attention of engravers.

We are grateful to Bernard Aikema, who, from seeing a digital image of the drawing, has kindly confirmed the attribution to Piazzetta.