Provenance
Italico Brass (died 1943), Venice; by descent to at least 1965 [Udine 1965]. Sold by E.V. Thaw and Company, New York, to the Art Institute, 1972.
Accession Number
38467
Medium
Pen and brown ink, and brush and brown wash, over a graphite underdrawing, on cream laid paper
Dimensions
19.7 × 23.1 cm (7 13/16 × 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Credit Line
Helen Regenstein Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's "Punchinellos Cooking and Tasting Gnocchi (Punchinellos' Repast)" (1740/52) is a pen and brown ink drawing with brush and brown wash over graphite on cream laid paper. This drawing belongs to the celebrated series of Punchinello drawings by Tiepolo and his son Giovanni Domenico. Punchinello (Pulcinella), the hunchbacked, hook-nosed character from the commedia dell'arte, was a favorite subject of the Tiepolo family. This scene shows Punchinellos engaged in the homely activity of cooking and tasting gnocchi (potato dumplings), their comic features rendered with affectionate humor. The pen and ink technique is lively and expressive, the figures captured in mid-action. The brown wash adds warmth and depth. The graphite underdrawing provides initial structure. The subject of Punchinellos cooking and eating was a celebration of the simple pleasures of life, the comedy of the figures' appearance balanced by the genuine warmth of their shared activity. This drawing is a masterpiece of comic art, combining technical brilliance with genuine human feeling.
Cultural Impact
Tiepolo's Punchinello drawings represent one of the most sustained and affectionate explorations of a comic character in the history of art, influencing artists from Goya to Picasso.
Why It Matters
This drawing of Punchinellos cooking gnocchi captures the warm comedy of everyday life, the exaggerated features and lively action transformed by Tiepolo's genius into a celebration of simple pleasures.
