Drawing for Canto X of Alessandro Tassoni's "Secchia rapita"

Gravelot's design is preparatory for an illustration to Canto X in an edition of Alessandro Tassoni's "Secchia rapita" (“The Stolen Bucket”), published in Paris by Lorenzo Prault and Pietro Durand in 1766. Tassoni's mock-heroic poem, originally published in Paris in 1622, blends the construct of an epic with an absurd premise: a 14th century war between Modena and Bologna was actually caused by the Modenese stealing a bucket from Bologna. The corresponding plate appears facing p. 131 in volume two of the published work and is captioned “Ella volgendo a Titta un guardo ghiotto Sporge la bocca”. The scene shows Titta and the wife of Count Culagna embracing in front of her husband.