Two Heads of Angels (fragment)
- Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
- Date: 1767
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is “Two Heads of Angels (fragment)” by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The work dates to 1767 and is painted in oil on canvas, a medium that lets Tiepolo’s luminous palette shine. Even though we only see a fragment, the two angelic heads appear in the midst of a swirling, cloud‑laden sky, suggesting a heavenly scene cut from a larger fresco.
Tiepolo, a master of the late Baroque, was known for his airy compositions and masterful use of light. In this fragment, you’ll notice the delicate rendering of the wings—almost translucent—capturing the movement and grace typical of his angelic figures. The faces are calm, their features softened by the soft chiaroscuro that makes them seem almost ethereal. The background is left deliberately vague, a cloudscape that draws the eye upward, hinting at a narrative that extends beyond the canvas.
What’s fascinating is how Tiepolo blends the grandeur of Baroque drama with a subtle, almost Rococo, lightness. The fragmented nature of the piece invites speculation: was it part of a larger altar scene, perhaps a chapel commission in a Venetian palazzo? Even in its incomplete state, the painting offers a glimpse into Tiepolo’s skill at capturing divine serenity and the fleeting interplay of light and shadow.
See it in person
Two Heads of Angels (fragment) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
