Artwork
America
America is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1775, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo's painting functions as an allegorical personification of the continent of America.
Created in 1775, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo's painting functions as an allegorical personification of the continent of America. The work's iconography centers on a nude figure, a conventional artistic device used during this period to represent the perceived wildness or natural state of the New World. Distinctive to this depiction is the inclusion of an alligator, an exotic animal native to the Americas that serves as a key symbolic attribute identifying the specific geographic subject.
By combining the human form with regional fauna, the composition visually codifies European perceptions of the continent, merging classical allegorical traditions with observations of indigenous wildlife to define the identity of America for an eighteenth-century audience.
Technique & Style
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo's 1775 painting America is executed on a support measuring 81.9 by 108.6 centimetres. Stylistically, the work functions as an allegorical representation of the continent, incorporating figurative elements such as a nude figure and an alligator into its composition. The painting's formal qualities align with Tiepolo's late eighteenth-century approach to allegorical narrative, utilizing symbolic motifs to convey its subject. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo created the painting America in 1775. The artwork, which serves as an allegorical depiction featuring a nude and an alligator, was painted by the Italian artist during his later period. Measuring 81.9 by 108.6 centimetres, the piece eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently housed.
The early ownership chain and any intermediate provenance prior to its acquisition by the museum are not detailed in surviving records.
Overview
Created in 1775 by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, son of the renowned Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, this painting titled America is a notable example of the Rococo period. It presents an allegorical vision of the continent, featuring a powerful winged figure alongside a formidable reptilian creature. The artwork is presently housed within the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (August 30, 1727 – March 3, 1804) was an Italian painter and printmaker in etching. He was the son of artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and elder brother of Lorenzo Baldissera Tiepolo.
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