Prediking van Johannes de Doper 1737 - 1804

Curator: Good day, everyone, and welcome. Today we will be taking a close look at "Prediking van Johannes de Doper" or "The Preaching of John the Baptist" by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. This piece is an etching and falls within the rather expansive period of 1737 to 1804. What's grabbing you first? Editor: The chaotic energy, almost. It's not polished like I'd expect for Baroque, more frenetic. A crowd scenes made of so many individual characters seems to be tumbling into the foreground. And all that exquisite cross-hatching really gets the eye moving. Curator: It's the human story that captivates me in Tiepolo's art. In this etching, we witness John the Baptist, the central figure, passionately delivering his sermon, but beyond that overt biblical moment, Tiepolo uses social commentary to explore power structures and individual autonomy in society. How effective it would be as, you know, a Tinder profile pic? Editor: Right! Look how he situates John, slightly elevated, commanding attention but still of the landscape. It isn't just the overt display of religiosity that Tiepolo’s pointing out, it's the way the very performance reinforces societal hierarchies and privileges. How much does it take for some men to get to stand up and be heard? Curator: A truly Baroque power pose. The composition is ingenious – notice how the eye is led from the darker figures on the left, up to John, and then guided across the group of listeners toward the background. It almost creates this little microcosm reflecting larger world inequalities, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. And let’s think about that crowd of onlookers – some appear contemplative, others skeptical. Are they really moved or is it the power of spectacle at play? The women with the baby is an interesting group and is reminiscent of madonna images from the earlier renaissance: a critique? Curator: The dog sitting next to the group really brings that casual vibe for sure, the "wait, is that important?". This artwork shows a beautiful example of the depth and layers that can be found in 18th-century Italian art. It invites us to engage not only with religious narratives but also the socio-political undercurrents present in art. Editor: What struck me is how a relatively simple print manages to capture a really uncomfortable situation that keeps resonating today, that is, performativity of power as an extension of dominance. Not bad for a nearly three-hundred year old print!