Punchinello Arrested
1790s
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo created this lively scene as part of his massive series of over 100 drawings featuring the commedia dell'arte character Punchinello. In this chaotic moment, the mischievous hunchback is being carted off by a bumbling group of guards, capturing the frantic energy of 18th-century Venice. Tiepolo used these sketches to poke fun at society, showing Punchinello getting into trouble, acting foolish, and generally causing mayhem. It's essentially a Rococo-era comic strip, full of movement and satire, created near the end of the artist's life when he retreated to his family villa.
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