Drie goddelijke deugden 1753 - 1757

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo created this print, 'The Three Divine Virtues', using etching and engraving. The work depicts Faith carrying a cross on a cloud, Hope holding an anchor, and Charity with children - the three theological virtues that the Catholic Church promoted as essential for salvation. Produced in Venice, the image reflects the city’s historical association with religious art and the patronage of wealthy families and religious institutions, which supported the Tiepolo family for generations. Here, the artist references classical antiquity through the ruin in the background, reminding viewers of the Church's triumph over paganism. The work is clearly conservative in its subject matter and its idealized style. To understand this print, a historian would investigate the role of religion in Venetian society during the 1700s, exploring the commissioning and distribution of such imagery. This helps us understand the complex and ever-evolving relationship between art, religion, and society.