Artwork
A Shepherd Family Resting
A Shepherd Family Resting is a graphite drawing by the Baroque artist Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. It dates from 1738 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
A Shepherd Family Resting is a drawing created by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta in 1738, executed in red chalk and wash over graphite.
Technique & Style
The work showcases Piazzetta's delicate draftsmanship and use of soft shading, characteristic of the Rococo tradition. The naturalistic detail and expressive figures demonstrate his skill in capturing everyday life.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a shepherd family at rest, reflecting Piazzetta's focus on scenes of everyday life and genre subjects.
Context
The work is situated within the 18th-century Venetian artistic milieu, reflecting the broader artistic trends of the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (also called Giambattista Piazzetta or Giambattista Valentino Piazzetta) (February 13, 1682 or 1683 – April 28, 1754) was an Italian Rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes.
Diana and Four Nymphs Receiving Gifts from a Satyr
Angelica and Medoro
Holy Family Seated on an Arch
Rape of Europa
The Washerwoman
The Holy Family
Noah Leading the Animals into the Ark
The Divertissement from Voltaire's "La princesse de Navarre"
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
A Satyr Entertaining His Family