Artwork
Young Lady in a Tricorn Hat
Young Lady in a Tricorn Hat is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1758 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
This painting depicts a young lady wearing a tricorn hat, which is a three-cornered hat that was popular in the 18th century.
This painting depicts a young lady wearing a tricorn hat, which is a three-cornered hat that was popular in the 18th century. The lady is dressed in dark attire, and her face is the main focus of the painting. Her skin has a soft, rosy glow, and her eyes are cast downward.
The lady's hat is black, and it adds a sense of elegance to her overall appearance. The background of the painting is dark, which helps to draw attention to the lady's face and hat.
The artist's use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and depth, adds depth and dimension to the painting. Look up the artist Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista.
Overview
Created circa 1758, this oil on canvas portrait by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo captures a young woman in a three‑cornered hat. The work exemplifies the Rococo sensibility that dominated mid‑eighteenth‑century Venetian painting, combining a graceful pose with a restrained, intimate scale.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is presented in dark clothing, her face illuminated against a shadowy backdrop. Her downward‑cast gaze and the soft, rose‑tinged complexion convey a sense of modesty or contemplation, while the black tricorn hat signals contemporary fashion and a hint of aristocratic refinement.
Technique & Style
Tiepolo employs chiaroscuro to model the figure, juxtaposing deep shadows with a luminous highlight on the cheek and hat brim. The palette is muted except for the subtle pink of the skin, and the composition balances the vertical line of the hat with the gentle curve of the neck, reflecting the artist’s command of light and elegant arrangement.
History & Provenance
The portrait belongs to the prolific period when Tiepolo was active across Italy, Germany, and Spain, producing both grand frescoes and intimate canvases. While specific ownership records are scarce, the painting has been catalogued among his late works and is now held in a public collection that showcases his Venetian output.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
