PROVENANCE: G. Gurshner, Vienna; R. Kuhe, New York, 1919; Gladys Adler; Christie's, London, April 1, 1966, lot 34; Julius Weitzner, London, 1966; BJU, 1966.

One of the latest Italian painters represented in the Museum & Gallery is the greatest artist of 18th-century Venice , Giambattista Tiepolo. While Tiepolo achieved most of his fame through breathtakingly airy frescoes on the ceilings of palaces, churches, and villas, he also revived age-old themes from the Bible and antiquity through fresh interpretations. Such is the case with a series of bust-length portraits of bearded old men, begun perhaps as early as the 1740s. These men in oriental garb are widely regarded as a series of ancient philosophers, but no definite case may be made for the group since most lack traditional attributes. Tiepolo was certainly influenced by Rembrandt's prints of bearded old men which may also be perceived as simple character studies.

The present painting is the original treatment by Tiepolo that together with the others from the series was later copied by his sons Giandomenico and Lorenzo in etchings called La Raccolta di Teste (The Collection of Heads). The vigorous brushwork, vibrant colors, elaborate dress, and penetrating gaze of the sitter combine to make this work an excellent example of Tiepolo's lesser-known skills at small-scale work.