2nd View from "The Poetry of Light"

thepofl02-tiepolo
Originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Of all of the artists whose amazing drawings, sketches, and watercolor paintings are included in this exhibition, none were so singularly captivating as those of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696 - 1770). This example is titled: "The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra" from the early 1740's.

I first really understood Tiepolo back in 2001 on a trip to London where I encountered several examples of his ceiling paintings. Works placed in domes and high ceilings which were meant to evoke a sense of heaven revealed. And the particular works that I found most interesting in this exhibit were the ones where "God the Father" was the main character presented in his cloudy home surrounded by angels, putti, and upon one instance the Virgin Mary.

Tiepolo's use of chalk to establish a composition, and then the application of pen and ink with a wash, produces such a rich image. One that I feel the reproductions in this meager publication failed utterly to convey. This technique succeeds whether the subject matter is God, Shakespearian lovers, or a simple cow!

Go see it for yourself! You have until October 1st!