Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Venice 1696 - 1770 MadridFace of a Native American, study for the decorations at Würzburg
In 1750 Giambattista Tiepolo was persuaded by Karl Philip von Greiffenklau, the Prince Bishop of Würzburg, with great difficulty, and at enormous expense, to decorate the Kaisersaal of the palace at Würzburg, built by Balthasar Neumann. When he had completed the decoration of the Kaisersaal, in about 1752, Tiepolo agreed to paint the ceiling of the great staircase of the Palace with a fresco depicting 'The Four Continents paying homage to Karl Philip von Greiffenklau'.
This drawing, whilst similar to the figure of a scowling African wearing a feather head-dress in the background of the fresco depicting Africa, is a study for one of the figures in the frieze of America on the adjacent side of the ceiling. The pose is different with the figure looking down, but the head-dress certainly identifies the subject with this part of the design. This was first recognised by Andrew Robeson, Curator of Drawings at the National Gallery in Washington, when he examined the drawing.