Various Caprices: The Young Man Seated, Leaning Against an Urn

The print Various Caprices: The Young Man Seated, Leaning Against an Urn is an etching created by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo sometime between 1730 and 1755. This piece belongs to the artist’s seminal suite of prints known as the Vari Capricci (Various Caprices), a collection of fantastical and allegorical scenes. Executed in Italy, this body of work showcased Tiepolo’s genius not only as a master of large-scale fresco but also as a proficient printmaker working within the intimate, suggestive atmosphere of the capriccio style.

The medium of etching allowed Tiepolo to achieve a delicate yet dramatic quality, characterized by its expressive linework and strong contrasts of light and shadow. The young man is rendered with a studied casualness, leaning against a large classical urn, suggesting contemplation or melancholy. These Capricci are recognized as central to 18th-century Italian printmaking, often featuring fragments of ruins, classical motifs, and figures presented with theatrical flair. Tiepolo used the acid-biting process to expertly define form and create textured depths that capture the Romantic sensibility emerging in the mid-1700s.

This piece demonstrates the technical control Tiepolo held over various media, influencing subsequent generations of Venetian artists. Recognized widely as a key figure of the Italian Rococo, the enduring appeal of Tiepolo's prints ensures their continued study globally. Since the work is often categorized within the public domain, high-quality images and scholarly resources are widely available for researchers. This important impression is housed in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.