Artwork
Neptune and the Winds
Neptune and the Winds is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1743 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The 1743 date places the work within Tiepolo's mature Venetian practice, when he frequently fused classical mythology with airy, allegorical imagery.
The painting brings together a mythological assembly of Olympian and chthonic deities within a single composition. Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, is shown alongside Pluto, the ruler of the underworld, and Jupiter, the king of the gods. The presence of a putto, a winged child figure drawn from classical iconography, links the divine gathering to allegorical traditions in which such cupids accompany major deities.
The juxtaposition of Neptune with Pluto and Jupiter suggests a gathering of cosmic powers governing sea, underworld, and sky, a common Baroque and Rococo device for evoking the universal scope of divine rule. The 1743 date places the work within Tiepolo's mature Venetian practice, when he frequently fused classical mythology with airy, allegorical imagery.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1743, this work by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo is an oil painting on canvas. The piece exemplifies the Rococo movement through its dynamic composition and mythological subject matter, which includes depictions of Neptune, Jupiter, Pluto, and a putto. Measuring 62.2 cm in both height and width, the square format supports the energetic handling characteristic of Tiepolo's style during this period.
The application of oil paint on a textile support allows for the fluid brushwork and luminous color palette associated with the artist's technique in the mid-18th century.
History & Provenance
Created in 1743 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the oil-on-canvas painting Neptune and the Winds belongs to the Rococo movement. The work was executed on a square format, measuring 62.2 centimeters on each side. While the specific commissioning patron and original ownership chain are not detailed in the provided records, the painting's creation date is firmly established as 1743.
It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition depicts mythological figures including Neptune, Jupiter, Pluto, and a putto, rendered in Tiepolo's characteristic oil technique.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's oil painting Neptune and the Winds, executed in 1743, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, which depicts mythological figures including Neptune, Jupiter, and Pluto, remains part of the museum's permanent holdings. While the sources confirm the artwork's inception date and current institutional location, they do not provide a specific accession or inventory number, nor do they list any past or present exhibitions where the piece has been displayed.
Overview
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's oil painting, Neptune and the Winds, was completed in 1743. This work, characteristic of the Rococo movement, portrays a dramatic mythological encounter involving the Roman deities Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. It is currently housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a significant example of 18th-century Venetian art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
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