Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Artist

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) was an Italian Rococo painter whose light, airy style brought drama and movement to ceilings and altarpieces throughout Europe. His skilled frescoes and captivating oil paintings continue to captivate audiences.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Biography

• Born on March 5, 1696 in Venice, Italy.
• He studied painting under Gregorio Lazzarini .
• In 1719, he married Cecilia Guardi , daughter of a family of painters called the Guardi .
• In the 1720s, he established his reputation as a fresco painter in Venice.
• In 1750, he created a fresco for the Religious Deity of Würzburg, Germany.
• In 1762, he was invited by King Carlos III of Spain to paint a ceiling for the Royal Palace in Madrid.
• He died in Madrid on March 27, 1770 (aged 74).

Representative works

• The Assumption of the Virgin (1767-1769)
• The Banquet of Cleopatra (1743-1744)
• Allegory of the Planets and Continents (1752)
• Ceiling painting in the staircase of the Bishop of Würzburg, "Allegory of Olympus and the Four Continents" (1752-1753)

Tiepolo's style and achievements

Tiepolo's works are characterized by light, bright colors, dynamic compositions, and dramatic depictions of scenes. He produced many large-scale works, including ceiling paintings, altarpieces, and decorative paintings, with themes of mythology, religion, and history.

While inheriting the Venetian tradition , Tiepolo expressed the elegance, lightness, and decorativeness that are characteristic of the Rococo style in his own unique way. In contrast to the solemnity of Baroque art , his works are bright and open, and give joy and inspiration to the viewer.

Tiepolo was one of the most representative painters of 18th century Europe, and his influence extended not only to Italy, but also to Germany and Spain. His frescoes are highly regarded not only for their technical excellence, but also for their narrative-rich expressions and skillful spatial composition, and are regarded as important works that established the Rococo style while inheriting the traditions of Baroque art .