Portrait of Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
Medium
Mezzotint
Dimensions
sheet: 15 x 10 1/2 in. (38.1 x 26.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Funds from various donors, 2011
Accession Number
2011.178
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 18th century, striking mezzotint portrait captured the likeness of Giovanni Battista Piazz, a leading Venetian artist known for his expressive drawings and paintings. Created by Johann Gottfried Ha, with possible involvement from Johann Christian Leopold the print measures 15 x 10½ inches exemplifies the mezzotint technique—a revolutionary printmaking method invented in the 17th century. rocking a serrated tool across a copper plate to create a velvety black ground, artists like Haid could then scrape and burnish highlights, achieving dramatic tonal gradients and lifelike depth id...
About the Artist
Johann Gottfried Haid|Giovanni Battista Piazzetta|Johann Christian Leopold (German|Italian|German) · 1714 |1682 | –1776 |1754 |
German, Augsburg 1714–1776 Vienna|Italian, Venice 1682–1754 Venice|