River God with an Oar, Woman Holding a Serpent, and a Standing Nude Boy 1696 - 1770

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created this pen and wash drawing titled 'River God with an Oar, Woman Holding a Serpent, and a Standing Nude Boy,' we don't know exactly when. Tiepolo, working in 18th-century Venice, imbues this mythological scene with a palpable sense of movement and drama. Note how the figures are arranged in a dynamic, almost spiraling composition, which draws your eye across the page. The river god, typically a symbol of masculine power and dominion, is softened by the presence of the woman and child. The serpent she holds might allude to female wisdom, or perhaps even danger, unsettling the traditional patriarchal order. The nude boy introduces a note of innocence and vulnerability. Tiepolo seems to be both embracing and questioning the dominant narratives of his time, creating a space where power, gender, and innocence can meet and, perhaps, challenge one another. It is in this tension, in this dance between tradition and innovation, that the emotional resonance of the work resides.