Title page, from "Vari Capricci"

Title page, from "Vari Capricci" by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, is a significant example of 18th-century Italian printmaking and served as the frontispiece for the artist’s celebrated series of etchings. This particular impression, housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is an etching dated 1785. Although the original designs for the Vari Capricci were executed by Tiepolo decades earlier, likely around the 1740s, this print belongs to a later posthumous edition, underscoring the enduring appeal and commercial demand for the Venetian master’s works well after his death in 1770.

The capriccio genre, characterized by imaginative architectural groupings, classical ruins, and atmospheric effects, was perfectly suited to Tiepolo’s experimental etching style. He utilized the medium to explore complex visual narratives, often featuring mythological or military figures in melancholic settings. Tiepolo employed delicate, controlled lines and varying density of cross-hatching to create dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, techniques essential for achieving the series’ signature moody atmosphere.

These fantastic prints represent a creative departure from the large-scale fresco painting for which the artist is primarily famous. The Vari Capricci series provided deep inspiration for generations of subsequent draftsmen, solidifying Tiepolo's reputation not only as a monumental painter but also as one of the most innovative printmakers of his era. As a cornerstone of the Met’s extensive collection of Old Master prints, this work demonstrates the technical brilliance that defines eighteenth-century etching, with many such historically important images now available in the public domain.