Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Tiepolo's gorgeous paintings possess tremendous narrative force and vitality; what they lack in cerebral control (the kind so
evident in Canaletto, for example) they amply make up for in sweeping grandeur and dramatic tension. He was a master at painting scenes full of interesting perspectives, floating bodies, revealing details, and swirling action. To call this a traditional life-and-works art book does not demean its impressive scholarly rigor and pleasant style. Rather, it underscores Levey's concern with tying Tiepolo's life (1696—1770) and artistic milieu to his incisive paintings. Levey, Director of the National Gallery in London, documents Tiepolo's career from his native Venice to his commissions in Germany and finally to Madrid, where he was called by Carlos III to work on frescoes for die throne room of the imposing Royal Palace. Tiepolo died in Madrid a few years before the arrival of Goya and his revolutionary new style of painting. The author discusses individual canvases and frescoes, relating them to their artistic antecedents and placing them within Tiepolo's own aesthetic development. The book contains 170 black and white and 70 color illustrations, sensibly coded to the text for easy reference and beautifully reproduced in sharp detail and subtle color." Reviewed by Lauranett Lee, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)