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Caliph Aladin and His Counselors

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

1734

chalk

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque 18th Century

Dominant colour

Caliph Aladin and His Counselors is a 1734 chalk by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
When & what style?: 1734 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows three men in flowing robes, drawn quickly in black chalk. One man sits with his legs crossed, gesturing with his hands. Another stands nearby, leaning slightly, while the third man is partly visible on the right. The lines are loose and expressive, with some red chalk marks scattered around. The rough, sketchy style suggests the artist was working fast, maybe testing ideas. This kind of drawing was often used to plan bigger paintings. Next, check out the Baroque movement to see how quick sketches like this fit into the era’s bold, dramatic style.