1791
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Two Rampaging Elephants is a 1791 chalk by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two huge elephants charging across a flat, open landscape. One elephant is on the left, its massive body turned sideways, while the other follows behind, its tail swishing. In the foreground, a man and a child lie on the ground, looking small and helpless. The background is simple—just a few trees and a faint horizon line. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show movement and chaos. The elephants’ muscles and legs are drawn with loose, confident strokes, making them look powerful and wild. Next, check out Romanticism to see how artists used drama and nature in their work.
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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