A Boar, Galloping to the Left, and a Sleeping Sow (on the Base) 1736 - 1804

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo made this pen and wash drawing of a boar and a sow. The image of these animals is more than just a zoological study; it evokes the countryside of 18th-century Italy. During this period, Venice, where Tiepolo worked, was in decline. Artists like Tiepolo often looked to rural life for inspiration, idealizing its simplicity in contrast to the city's complexities. The boar, with its wild energy, can be seen as a symbol of untamed nature, while the sow, sleeping, embodies a more passive, domesticated aspect. Tiepolo here may well be commenting on the changing social values of his time, contrasting the virtues of a simpler, rural past with the perceived decadence of urban life. To fully understand Tiepolo's work, historians consult a variety of resources, from agricultural records to period literature, piecing together the cultural context that gives the artwork its deeper meaning.