Heilige familie passeren herder met kudde schapen en palmboom tijdens vlucht naar Egypte

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo's etching *Heilige familie pass herder met kuddeapen en palmboom tijdens naar Egypte* ( Family Passing a Shepherd with Flock of Sheep and Palm During the Flight to Egypt), created between 1750 and 1753, a tender moment from the biblical narrative in the Gospel of Matthew., the Virgin Mary, cradling the infant Jesus, rides alongside Joseph as they journey through a pastoral landscape, encountering a shepherd and his sheep beneath a stately palm tree. This intimate scene reflects the 18th-century Venetian fascination with religious stories, rendered in Tiepolo's characteristic Rococo style—elegant, fluid lines, and a sense of graceful movement that infuses the holy figures with warmth and humanity. As the son of the renowned Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Domenico honed his craft in etching, a meticulous intaglio technique where acid bites into a metal plate to create fine, expressive lines. Measuring just 186 × 237 mm, this small-scale print was ideal for collectors, allowing intricate details like the textured wool of the sheep and the swaying palm fronds to shine. Etchings like this popularized grand artistic visions in affordable reproductions, bridging elite patronage with broader audiences during Venice's Enlightenment era. Bearing the collector's mark Lugt 2228 (linked to esteemed 19th-century connoisseurs), the work underscores its enduring appeal. Tiepolo's interpretation adds poetic serenity to the Flight into Egypt motif, a staple in Christian art symbolizing refuge and divine protection, inviting viewers to ponder faith amid everyday pastoral beauty.

About the Artist

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo · 1727–1804

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804) was a Venetian painter, printmaker, and draftsman whose career spanned the twilight of the Rococo era. Born on August 30, 1727, in Venice as the eldest son of the celebrated Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, he worked both in his father's shadow and as a significant independent artist who developed a distinctly earthbound and humanistic vision. Domenico's importance...