Man Smoking a Pipe (recto); Standing Man and Two Studies of His Head (verso)
1697–1768
Medium
Pen and brown ink, over traces of lead or graphite (recto); vertical ruled line in lead or graphite at center, standing men and study of profile head in pen and brown ink, over traces of graphite or lead; study of head in graphite (verso)
Dimensions
11 3/4 x 6 7/16in. (29.8 x 16.4cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1939
Accession Number
39.79
Tags
Art Historical Context
This double-sided drawing by Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal, 1697–1768) captures the artist’s keen observation of everyday life in 18th-century Venice. On the recto, a seated man casually smokes a pipe, rendered with pen strokes that convey both relaxed posture and momentary gesture. The verso reveals additional studies of a standing figure and two head profiles, suggesting Canaletto used such sheets to explore human forms that would later populate his celebrated city views. Executed in pen and brown ink over faint graphite, the work highlights Canaletto’s economical yet precise draftsmans...