Tiepolo, Giovanni Domenico

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804) was a Venetian painter, printmaker, and draftsman whose career spanned the twilight of the Rococo era. Born on August 30, 1727, in Venice as the eldest son of the celebrated Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, he worked both in his father's shadow and as a significant independent artist who developed a distinctly earthbound and humanistic vision. Domenico's importance in art history extends beyond his collaborative role. He represents a pivotal shift from grandiose allegorical traditions toward more accessible, secular subject matter. His work bridges his father's theatrical magnificence and the emerging interest in everyday life that would characterize the coming century. He assisted his father on monumental projects including the Würzburg stairwell frescoes (1751-1753), the Villa Valmarana ai Nani (1757), and the Royal Palace in Madrid (1762-1770). After his father's death in 1770, Domenico returned to Venice and developed a radically different approach, abandoning mythological grandeur for genre scenes and theatrical subjects. His most distinctive works include the Punchinello series of 104 drawings from the 1790s.