Design for Dedication Page to Charles III of Spain and the Two Sicilies

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian, 1692 - 1770 · ca. 1762

At center, a winged figure of Glory alights from left and places the sculpted bust of King Charles III on a pedestal decorated with swags and a cartouche. In the foreground, a putto seen from behind sits amid symbols of the arts and war. Another putto hovers in mid-air to the right of the pedestal. In the background, a group of figures stand beneath a partial view of colonnaded temple and figure in upper left corner. This design was made for a book on the ruins of Paestum, which was commissioned by Charles III of Spain and published in 1770. The dedication page was engraved by Volpato after this drawing.