Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo

In an elegant interior, a woman is seen from behind, constrained by cumbersome undergarments—a gentle send-up of aristocratic fashion. Few artists were as talented in the use of wash as Domenico Tiepolo, who here applied multiple layers of ink to define atmosphere, spatial depth, and volume. He also skillfully used the white of the paper to suggest bright light streaming in from the window and reflecting off surfaces. This play of light injects movement and liveliness in an otherwise static composition.