A Mother with two Children, from the Scherzi

A Mother with two Children, from the Scherzi, is a key etching created by the great Venetian master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Produced during a prolific period of printmaking, likely between 1725 and 1780, this work is part of the famed Scherzi di Fantasia (Fantastical Caprices) series. This set of etchings allowed Tiepolo to explore subjects dramatically distinct from his grand fresco commissions, focusing instead on atmospheric, often enigmatic groupings of figures, philosophers, and travelers set amidst ruins.

The medium of etching highlights Tiepolo’s masterful draftsmanship. He utilized delicate, yet vigorous, lines to define form and volume, creating deep shadows and an evocative sense of light and atmosphere characteristic of the Rococo era. The composition features a central group: a mother gently attending to her two children. Adjacent to the figures stands a donkey, a common motif in both rustic genre scenes and allegorical depictions of journey or necessity. Unlike many of his contemporary history paintings, the Scherzi deliberately resist clear narrative, presenting these figures in a context suggesting arcane knowledge or mysterious pilgrimage, blending everyday life with classical suggestion.

Tiepolo’s inventive and highly influential approach to the print medium ensured the wide circulation of his aesthetic sensibility across Europe. This particular print is housed in the distinguished collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Recognized today as a highly significant example of 18th-century Italian graphic art, the work’s historical importance means that prints derived from this public domain image remain widely accessible for scholarly study and public appreciation.