St. Ambrose Addressing the Young St. Augustine, circa 1747-1750black chalk, pen and brown ink with brown wash on paper The Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection: Purchased with a gift from James T. and Helen Dyke, 1993. 93.35
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
Italian, 1727 - 1804
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo was the son of the more famous artist, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo who lived from 1696-1770. The son lived from 1727-1804. Their dates are provided to show that between the two of them, the Tiepolos were an artistic constant in the last 80 years of the 18th century. During the period when the Tiepolo were active, France was the most dominant artistic city in Europe. However, Venice and its native painters were not far behind.
The story of this drawing, while not well-known to many contemporary viewers, is typical of the religious commissions that Domenico would have received. Our drawing is not a preparatory study for any known painting and the actual subject of this work was not always identified. At the time it came in the AAC collection it was called a Bishop Receiving Supplicants. Now it is recognized as St. Ambrose Addressing the Young St. Augustine. Both figures, Ambrose and Augustine formed half of the four Latin Church fathers (others are Jerome and Gregory). St. Ambrose (340-397 AD) is often shown with his traditional vestments: the crozier and mitre. If the title is correct, Ambrose is passing religious instruction onto Augustine, who is shown beardless, a typical trait in depictions of this saint. Despite the fact that both Latin fathers are fourth century figures, notice the way that Tiepolo has set the scene in contemporary 18th century Venice. There is a sense of the theatrical in the poses of the attendants.
  
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