Giovanni Battista Tiepolo is considered one of the greatest painters of the Italian Baroque and, many suggest, the most important painter in 18th Century Europe. He was born in 1696 to a wealthy merchant family in Venice. During his youth, he studied under Gregorio Lazzarini (1657–1730), from whom he learnt the principles of the chiaroscuro technique; working with strong contrasts of light and shade. In the years that followed his training, Tiepolo developed his repertoire, employing an unmatched attention to composition, palette, and brushwork. His art merged the rich narratives of Ancient myth, with biblical texts – creating exceptionally rendered, operatic scenes.
By the late 1710s, Tiepolo had already developed his own thriving studio, receiving commissions from important benefactors. His most important commissions include the stairwell Würzburg Residence in Germany – an extensive fresco capturing Apollo at its centre, and a series of works throughout the Royal Palace in Madrid, all replete with classical influences and Rococo ornamentation. These remarkable works are filled with an airy light, moving away from the chiaroscuro of his youth.
In 1761, Tiepolo moved to Madrid to work on the Royal Palace commission for King Charles III of Spain. It was his last commission, as his Baroque style fell out of favour with the move toward Neoclassicism. He spent the remainder of his life in Madrid, up until his death in 1770.
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