Romijn Art
Middelburg, Zeeland
André Romijn: Capturing the essence of femininity in oil paintings
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Artist: Giovanni Battista Piazzatta
During the brilliant artistic flowering in 18th-century Venice, the two most important figure painters were Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770) and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. In his early years, Tiepolo was strongly influenced by Piazzetta, though his fiery and luminous fantasy later diverged from Piazzetta’s contemplative and elegant naturalism.
Piazzetta’s art was wide-ranging, and included intensely felt religious works, images from ancient history, illustrations for books of all types, and idyllic genre scenes. The latter were characterized by sensitive portrayals of young men and women, usually in pastoral or other ordinary costumes and frequently with tender romantic overtones. Like John Donne and other British 17th-century poets, Piazzetta created works of profound and deeply moving spirituality but also of light-hearted dalliance.
Piazzetta first became famous for his drawings, and among his many works on paper, he was well-known for his nearly life-sized heads and busts rendered in black and white chalk on Venetian blue paper. We know from inventories and other records that these character heads were immediately prized by his contemporaries and were framed and glazed to hang in rooms like finished paintings. In fact, these works were perhaps the earliest type of drawings to be so consistently collected and displayed, which also explains why their paper has changed color from extended exposure to light, softening from blue to gray-green or tan.
André Romijn
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