Giovanni Battista Pittoni d. J., 1687 Venedig – 1767, zugeschrieben

PROCLAMATION OF THE LORD Red chalk on paper. 44 x 29.2 cm. Framed behind glass. The present drawing can be seen in connection with a painting by Giovanni Battista Pittoni, which was executed in 1758 and also shows the Annunciation of the Lord. It is kept in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice (inv. no. 438) and shows a kneeling Madonna of the same nature as the one depicted here, but in landscape format. As a result, the painter dispenses with the strongly vertical dynamic of the angel of the Annunciation in favor of a curvature of the angel that suggests spatial depth. The two cherubs in the clouds are also comparable here. The present sheet may be a bozzetto for an altarpiece, the execution of which is unknown to us. This is indicated by the rounding at the upper end, reinforced by the applied spandrels. On a passepartout sheet with subtle coloration. Unopened. Remainder. Pittoni was initially taught by his uncle Francesco Pittoni (active c. 1687-c. 1718), later by Antonio Balestra (1666-1740), but was also influenced by Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734), Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1682-1754) and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770), whom he ultimately succeeded as president of the Venetian Academy. Pittoni is considered one of the most sought-after painters and draughtsmen of the late Baroque and Rococo periods.(1390585) (13)