(Venice 1712–1794) Portrait of a young boy with a dog, black and white chalks, on paper, 42 x 34 cm (oval format), mounted, framed, (Sch)

Domenico Maggiotto began his formation at the age of ten in the workshop of Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1682–1754) in Venice in 1722, were he was an assistant to his master until Piazetta’s death in 1754. Together with Giuseppe Angeli (1709–1798), Giulia Lama (1681–1747), Antonio Marinetti (1719–1769) und Francesco Polazzo (1683–1753) Maggiotto belonged to the so-called group of the “Piazzatteschi”, whose works were often mixed up with the ones of their master due to stylistic affinities and dependances. This is particularly true for Magiotto’s paintings between 1730 and 1750, whose expressive stylistic vocabulary and strong chiaroscuro reflect Piazetta’s influence. In that time Maggiotto took part in the execution of several large paintings by Piazetta, such as the „The Death of Darius“(c. 1745, Venice, Ca’Rezzonico). After the death of Piazetta Magiotto became a member of the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice in 1758. He developed a more classicist and narrative style and dedicated himself to historical, allegorical and moralising subjects.
The present drawing belongs to a group of chalk drawings showing studies of heads. They are less portraits but rather idealized studies of characters, so called “teste di carattere” after model images by Piazetta. Like the present drawing these sheets are studies of large format which were carefully excuted in black and white chalk on blue, brown or grey paper. Two comparable drawings by Maggiotto with a “Portrait of a Young Boy in a beret” (black and white chalk, 39,1 x 31,3 cm) and the “Portrait of a Young Woman” (black and white chalk, 39,4 x 31,2 cm) are preserved in the Morgan Library and Museum in New York (Inv. 2001.53:2; 2001.54:1). A stylistically comparable group of head studies is kept in the collection of the Museo Correr in Venice.