From 2023 display La Serenissima: Drawing in 18th century Venice:

Throughout his long career, Tiepolo produced many fanciful head studies. They reveal his profound understanding of the human form and thorough investigation of the different socio-cultural contexts. This expressive drawing demonstrates Tiepolo’s masterful ability to achieve painterly effects with the rapid application of the wash. The artist used the pale colour of the paper to suggest the play of light and shadow across the man’s face. The heavier application of the wash around the eyes gives a sense of psychological introspection to the image.   

mounted by the artist in an album and given to his son, Giuseppe Tiepolo, friar in the convent of the Somaschi, Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, 1762; kept in convent of the Somaschi until its suppression, 1810; acquired from there by Count Leopoldo Cicognara (1767-1834); acquired from him in an exchange by Antonio Canova (1754-1822); by descent to Monsignor Giovanni Battista Sartori-Canova (1775-1858); purchased from him by Francesco Pesaro, Venice; purchased from him by Edward Cheney, Badger Hall, Shropshire (1803-1884),1842; by descent to Colonel Alfred Capel Cure, Blake Hall, Ongar, Essex, (1826-1896); his sale, Sotheby's (London), 29 April 1885, lot 1024; purchased there by E. Parsons & Sons (London); possibly acquired in Dublin by William Fagg, Sydenham; possibly B.T. Batsford (London)'s sale, Christie's (London), 14 July 1914, lot 49 (three volumes); purchased there by E. Parsons & Sons (London); Savile Gallery, May 1928; passed to Richard Owen (Paris); sold on behalf of his estate by Arthur Tooth & Sons (London) to Colnaghi (London), 11 January 1952; purchased there by Count Antoine Seilern (1901-1978), 12 January 1952 (£1000, along with D.1978.PG.152 and 169); Princes Gate Bequest 1978

La Serenissima: Drawing in 18th century Venice, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/10/2023-11/02/2024

Drawings by Tiepolo and Guardi in the Princes Gate Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 31/07/1982-30/01/1983

Seilern, Count Antoine, Italian paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, SW7, London 1959; II
no. 154
pl. CXIV

Pignatti, Terisio, Le acqueforti dei Tiepolo, Florence 1965
under LXIX

Knox, George, Domenico Tiepolo: raccolta di teste, Udine 1970
introd. and under Testa I, 30
ill. ...More

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Recto: lower left corner, grey ink, cut off by edge: “X[?]S” (looks similar to the grey ink inscription “88” on D.1978.PG.385). Verso: lower right corner, graphite: “2”.

Collector's mark: none.