Artist Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (Italian, August 30, 1727–March 3, 1804)
Title A Centaur Playing with Punchinellos
Date Ca. 1800
Medium Brown ink and light brown wash over black chalk on paper
Dimensions Image: 11 11/16 x 16 5/16 in. (29.7 x 41.4 cm)
Sheet: 14 x 18 11/16 in. (35.6 x 47.5 cm)
Framed: 17 1/8 × 22 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (43.5 × 57.2 × 3.8 cm)
Credit Line The Anthony Moravec Collection of Old Master Drawings, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 2010.129
About this Work
Although Domenico Tiepolo began his career copying the designs of his father Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, he made series of beautiful ink drawings that reflect his unique personal style--recognized for its distinctive trembling line--and his ability to mix narrative motifs with aspects of everyday Venetian life. These qualities are evident in the 104 drawings that he produced depicting the life and times of a fictional family of Punchinellos. Although based on a clownish, working-class character from the Italian commedia dell'arte, Domenico does not show the Punchinellos in theatrical guise, but engaged in their daily activities. By humanizing these stock types, he connected them with the experiences of his viewers. Nevertheless, he sometimes shows them meeting mythical creatures, including a centaur. In a playful mood, the centaur hoists a young punchinello up into the air, while his alarmed parent runs in, hoping to prevent a misadventure. Sporting feathers in his hat, the young punchinello evidently enjoys the chance to pretend he can fly like a bird.
The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art includes two other scenes from Domenico Tiepolo's Punchinello series (Eskenazi Museum of Art 75.52.1 and Eskenazi Museum of Art 75.52.2).
