The Discovery of Pulcinella’s Grave

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (mentioned on object), in or before c. 1750

How can Pulcinella’s grave be discovered? After all, Pulcinella is a stock character in the commedia dell’ arte, the improvised Italian theatre. As such he does not actually exist, yet he is nevertheless immortal. However, everything is possible in the world that sprang from Tiepolo’s mind, and so he lies buried here (right foreground). The bone and hourglass emphasize that Pulcinella is also just a human, who has died.

  • Artwork typeprint
  • Object numberRP-P-1950-665
  • Dimensionsheight 223 mm x width 182 mm
  • Physical characteristicsets

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"sorcerer, magician, wizard, warlock" by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

A Sorcerer Examining Animal Skulls

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (mentioned on object), in or before c. 1750

A Sorcerer Examining Animal Skulls

Two Magicians with a Compass and Globe, and a Boy and a Snake

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (mentioned on object), in or before c. 1750

Two Magicians with a Compass and Globe, and a Boy and a Snake

Tovenaar en vier mannen bij rokend altaar

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (mentioned on object), in or before c. 1750

Tovenaar en vier mannen bij rokend altaar

more by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Flight into Egypt

follower of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1750 - 1810

Flight into Egypt

Venetiaanse pantoffelparade

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1740 - 1760

Venetiaanse pantoffelparade

The Immaculate Conception (Joachim en Anna receiving the Virgin Mary from God the Father)

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1757 - c. 1759

The Immaculate Conception (Joachim en Anna receiving the Virgin Mary from God the Father)

Titelprent voor Scherzi di fantasia met uilen bij een steen

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, in or before c. 1750 - in or before c. 1762

Titelprent voor Scherzi di fantasia met uilen bij een steen

Allegorical Figure of a Woman with a Shield or a Mirror (Prudence?)

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1740 - 1750

Allegorical Figure of a Woman with a Shield or a Mirror (Prudence?)

An Audience with Death

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (mentioned on object), in or before c. 1735

An Audience with Death

Identification

  • Title(s)

    The Discovery of Pulcinella’s Grave

  • Series title(s)

    Scherzi di fantasia

  • Object type

  • Object number

    RP-P-1950-665

  • Inscriptions / marks

    collector's mark: Lugt 2228

  • Catalogue reference

    • De Vesme 29-1(2)
    • Rizzi 20-1(2)

Creation

  • Creation

    • printmaker: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (mentioned on object), Italy
    • after design by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

  • Dating

    in or before c. 1750

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    ets

  • Dimensions

    height 223 mm x width 182 mm

Explanatory note

  • Prent maakt deel uit van serie met drieëntwintig prenten, bekend als Scherzi di fantasia. Na Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's dood werden de prenten in wisselende samenstellingen tot twee keer toe uitgegeven door zijn zoon, Giovanni Domenico. De serie in de collectie van het RMA is gedrukt in de eerste staat voor deze uitgaven, herkenbaar aan het ontbreken van een nummering.

This work is about

  • Subject

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    Purchased with the support of the J.W. Edwin Vom Rath Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds

  • Acquisition

    purchase 1950

  • Copyright

    Public domain

Documentation

  • Jaco Rutgers, ‘The dating of Tiepolo’s Capricci and Scherzi’, Print Quarterly 23 (2006) 3, pp. 254-263

Persistent URL

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