Artwork
Scherzi di Fantasia: Magician Pointing Out a Burning Head to Two Youths
Scherzi di Fantasia: Magician Pointing Out a Burning Head to Two Youths is a print by the Baroque artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1755 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Scherzi di Fantasia: Magician Pointing Out a Burning Head to Two Youths is a print by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, part of his series of enigmatic scenes known as Scherzi.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a magician gesturing towards a burning head in the presence of two youths, surrounded by mysterious objects, conveying themes of mortality and the transience of human endeavors.
Technique & Style
Tiepolo achieved the print's eerie atmosphere through chiaroscuro, using stark contrasts between light and dark to create tension, with white paper and broken lines generating an illusion of sunlight.
Context
The Scherzi series reflects 18th-century Venice's fascination with magic and superstition, with Tiepolo's work embodying the era's preoccupations.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
