A pen and ink drawing of two female opera singers of contrasting stature: both half length, viewed in profile to the left, and wearing plumes in their hair. Inscribed at the top, by Joseph Smith (?): Novembre 1741. These are caricatures of Vittoria Tesi Tramontini and Antonia Negri Tomi, probably shown in a performance of Carlo Goldoni's Tigrane, in which Tramontini appeared as Cleopatra, and Tomi appeared in the role of Princess Apamia.

This drawing belongs to an album of operatic caricatures mainly by Marco Ricci and Anton Maria Zanetti the Elder, an intact album from the library of Joseph Smith. Zanetti and another Venetian collector, Francesco Algarotti, owned similar albums, with many of the caricatures copied or traced, with identifying inscriptions. Zanetti's album is now in the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, and Algarotti's belongs to Albert Gellman and is in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Closely related drawings of these singers are in Anton Maria Zanetti's album: inv. 36619 and inv. 36620. Tramontini is also the subject of RCIN 907359, and 907412. Negri Tomi is the subject of RCIN 907353.

Opera was an important part of Venetian society and culture, and such caricatures were circulated among friends and collectors for light-hearted amusement. Joseph Smith was a keen opera lover who was married to the English opera singer Catherine Tofts and kept a box at the Teatro San Grisostomo in Venice. He collected operatic caricatures of the singers and performers of the day as well as artists and other well-known characters by Marco Ricci and others, and had them bound into this album. The drawings were shared and circulated among the three collectors and their circle as light-hearted amusement, but the artistic caricature was also a long established practice in Italian art.