Scherzo di Fantasia; Seated Warrior Holding a Serpent, and Standing Youth
1696-1770
Tiepolo was the king of Rococo drama, but here he lets his imagination run wild in a loose, scratchy sketch. A muscular warrior reclines casually, dangling a snake in the air like a magician's prop, while a wide-eyed youth looks on holding a cloak. This piece belongs to his 'Scherzi di Fantasia' (Scherzos of Fantasy) series, which were basically 18th-century fever dreams—mixing classical figures with weird, magical elements long before Surrealism existed. The energetic ink strokes show an artist thinking fast and having fun with mythology.
- Technique
- Brush and brown ink wash
- Material
- Paper