Three soldiers and a youth lying on his abdomen in a landscape, the soldiers bear armor and a flag, from "The Capricci"

Three soldiers and a youth lying on his abdomen in a landscape, the soldiers bear armor and a flag, from "The Capricci" is a celebrated etching created by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo between 1740 and 1742. This work belongs to his first major series of original prints, The Capricci, a set of ten plates characterized by enigmatic subjects and dramatic, fleeting compositions. As one of the most significant Venetian artists of the Rococo period, Tiepolo approached printmaking with the same dynamic flair evident in his monumental fresco cycles, translating the freedom of the brush into the sharp line of the needle.

The print exemplifies Tiepolo’s innovative use of the etching medium, employing free and rapid lines combined with deep shadows to generate movement and atmosphere. The composition places a focus on a quiet moment in a vast Landscape, featuring three figures identified as Soldiers. They wear distinctive Armor while resting, contrasted by the reclining Youth in the foreground. One soldier holds a standard or Flag, lending a military, yet deliberately ambiguous, context to the scene. These capricci (fantasies) often defy clear narrative explanation, instead serving as a stage for technical brilliance and evocative mood, reflecting the artistic currents of mid-18th century Venice.

The creation of these prints marked an important shift in Tiepolo’s career, establishing him as a master graphic artist alongside his established reputation as a painter. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this fine impression in its permanent collection, underscoring the importance of graphic arts in the 18th century Italian tradition. Due to the age and significance of the original plates, high-resolution images of many of these Baroque etchings are frequently available for study through public domain art initiatives, making Tiepolo's nuanced draftsmanship accessible worldwide.