A Stag and Four Hinds on a Grassy Knoll after 1770

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo made this pen and wash drawing of a stag and hinds sometime in the eighteenth century. At this time, Venice was in decline. Though still a center for the arts, the city-state was losing ground to its European rivals. This drawing demonstrates the Venetian aristocracy's taste for pastoral scenes. Note how the artist has arranged the animals on a kind of stage. The raised knoll and the line at the bottom of the paper suggest a theatrical set. During the late Baroque period, Venice was famous for its opera houses. Aristocratic families staged elaborate productions, some of which included live animals. The Tiepolo family workshop produced countless drawings. Art historians consult account books and inventories to understand the division of labor within the family. By studying the drawing styles of different family members, it is possible to attribute unsigned works like this one.