In two stages Giandomenico Tiepolo (1727-1804) made a set of sixty etchings based on imaginary Heads designed by his father, Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770). The first batch was completed in the 1750s while Giambattista was still alive, and the second batch in the 1770s after he had died. Most of these fantasy heads are versions of the sinister old man who haunts Giambattista's work from beginning to end and who is variously described by commentators as magician, sorcerer, wizard, magus, astrologer, Oriental, pope, patriarch, priest, or sage. The dozen samples chosen here are based on copies at the British Museum.
