[.ca] Domenico Tiepolo The Punchinello Drawings (ISBN 0807611328)

Tieopolo's Human Comedy:
This is a beautiful book. It's rare to find such large reproductions of drawings, all in color! (Most drawings, if not all are done in pen and brown ink with brown wash over black chalk.) Twenty-six drawings whose locations are unknown appear in an appendix in black and white at the back of the book. The text appears on the opposite page from each drawing. The author provides a brief, but helpful interpretation of each scene. Many of Tiepolo's references are not immediately familiar to the modern non-scholar reader, so a little guidance really enhances the visual experience. Best of all is Tiepolo's delightful rendering of the human comedy. His Punchinellos are ridiculous, loveable, pathetic and even heroic or tragic. This is one of my favorite journeys with an old master. The text also provides information regarding provenance, bibliography, exhibitions and current ownership.