Chained Woman and Other Figures Regarding a Pyre of Bones, from the Capricci 1743

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo made this etching, "Chained Woman and Other Figures Regarding a Pyre of Bones," as part of his Capricci series. Made in Venice during the 1740s, the image hints at the undercurrents of social anxiety in a republic that was past its prime. We see figures gathered around a pile of bones, while a woman sits chained nearby. The scene evokes a sense of unease and mystery. Tiepolo never explained the prints in this series, but his audience would have been familiar with allegorical and mythological subjects, as well as popular entertainments that featured masked figures and theatrical displays of magic. Tiepolo likely circulated these images among a small group of collectors and fellow artists. They reflect a self-conscious engagement with the traditions of art, but also a subtle critique of the institutions of power in Venice. We can better understand the social and cultural context of Tiepolo's Capricci by consulting period documents, literary sources, and the artist's other works.