Two Rampaging Elephants 1790 - 1792

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo created this pen and wash drawing, "Two Rampaging Elephants," sometime in the 18th century. During this period, Venice was a hub of artistic innovation but also grappling with social hierarchies and class tensions. Tiepolo’s drawing captures a scene of chaos, but how might we consider it through a contemporary lens? The elephants, symbols of power and exoticism, are depicted mid-rampage. The figures in the foreground, seemingly wealthy, recline and observe, while others are trampled underfoot. What is the artist trying to say? Does this drawing highlight the spectacle of destruction, or is it a subtle commentary on the social order? Does it tell a story of human domination over the natural world, or does it hint at nature’s uncontainable force? "Two Rampaging Elephants" invites us to consider the power dynamics at play and reflect on who benefits from chaos, and who bears its brunt.