Vignette Illustrating Torquato Tasso's "Gerusalemme Liberata" (X:78) 1745

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta made this red chalk drawing to illustrate Torquato Tasso's epic poem "Gerusalemme Liberata". Drawn in Venice, a major center of artistic patronage during the 18th century, this work shows a shift in taste towards more dramatic and emotionally charged imagery. Venice was a Republic with a rigid class structure and the art produced there often reflected the interests and values of the ruling elite. Here, the artist would have been reliant on powerful patronage networks to sell his art. Piazzetta's vignette is an example of how artists of this period used classical and literary themes to create works of art that spoke to the concerns and interests of their patrons. It is through studying manuscript collections and the archives of institutions such as the Venetian Academy of Painting and Sculpture, we can understand the social and economic contexts that shaped the creation and reception of art in 18th century Venice. This enriches our understanding of its historical meaning.