Venice
See also : 18th century painting Italy II Canaletto Cities UK II George IV to Victoria Turner
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1750-1759 1760-1769 1840-1849 1908
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1750-1759 1760-1769 1840-1849 1908
1733 The Grand Canal by Canaletto
2005 SOLD for £ 18.6 M including premium by Sotheby's
narrated in 2020
Appearing as a successor to Carlevarijs, Canaletto managed very early to attract foreign customers. His themes are touristic, in a wide variety of views for displaying Venice in its whole historical and social diversity.
Around 1723, he paints two very large views, 141 x 204 cm and 144 x 207 cm, certainly as pendants for a single client.
He chooses the panoramic view of the Piazza San Marco with the basilica to illustrate the grandiose architecture, and the view of the Grand Canal between Palazzo Balbi and the Rialto bridge to show the life on the gondolas. The canal rotates at a right angle at that place. It is seen from full front when we look through a window from one of the three floors of the Palazzo Foscari.
On July 7, 2005, Sotheby's sold for £ 18.6M including premium over a lower estimate of £ 6M a view of the Grand Canal between Balbi and Rialto, in excellent condition, lot 47. This oil on canvas 86 x 138 cm is dated around 1733 by considerations of style, and is the very last large size example painted by Canaletto with this specific position. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The provenance of this painting was reconstructed before the sale. It had been listed as early as 1736 in the collection of Robert Walpole, who was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. Walpole belonged to the whig party opposed to royal absolutism and certainly considered Venice, which he had not visited, as a model of a republican regime.
Around 1723, he paints two very large views, 141 x 204 cm and 144 x 207 cm, certainly as pendants for a single client.
He chooses the panoramic view of the Piazza San Marco with the basilica to illustrate the grandiose architecture, and the view of the Grand Canal between Palazzo Balbi and the Rialto bridge to show the life on the gondolas. The canal rotates at a right angle at that place. It is seen from full front when we look through a window from one of the three floors of the Palazzo Foscari.
On July 7, 2005, Sotheby's sold for £ 18.6M including premium over a lower estimate of £ 6M a view of the Grand Canal between Balbi and Rialto, in excellent condition, lot 47. This oil on canvas 86 x 138 cm is dated around 1733 by considerations of style, and is the very last large size example painted by Canaletto with this specific position. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The provenance of this painting was reconstructed before the sale. It had been listed as early as 1736 in the collection of Robert Walpole, who was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. Walpole belonged to the whig party opposed to royal absolutism and certainly considered Venice, which he had not visited, as a model of a republican regime.
1754 The Bucentaur by Canaletto
2005 SOLD for £ 11.4M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
Until its destruction by Napoléon in 1798, the Bucentaur was the festive symbol of Venice. On Ascension day since 1178, this huge state barge with two decks, 35 m long and 8.5 m high propelled by 168 oarsmen, escorted the Doge and the highest dignitaries. The Doge blessed the sea and threw a golden ring in the Adriatic. During the rest of the year the boat remained at the Arsenal.
Unlike his predecessor Carlevarijs, Canaletto is not interested in official celebrations. He prefers to observe everyday life in all the variety of costumes and occupations of this cosmopolitan city. The ambiance of Ascension day is very specific and he does not disdain the subject, but the Bucentaur, while perfectly recognizable, is always far behind the bustling quay and the well-loaded gondolas.
On July 6, 2005 at lot 20, Christie's sold for £ 11.4M including premium from a lower estimate of £ 4M a view taken from the Riva degli Schiavoni, in the superb light of the end of the day, with the Bucentaur docked at the Molo.
This 152 x 138 cm oil on canvas was painted circa 1754. Canaletto, settled in London since 1746, certainly responded to a specific request from an English aristocrat who will be its first owner. The canvas is still in its period frame of English style, carved, pierced and gilded.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Unlike his predecessor Carlevarijs, Canaletto is not interested in official celebrations. He prefers to observe everyday life in all the variety of costumes and occupations of this cosmopolitan city. The ambiance of Ascension day is very specific and he does not disdain the subject, but the Bucentaur, while perfectly recognizable, is always far behind the bustling quay and the well-loaded gondolas.
On July 6, 2005 at lot 20, Christie's sold for £ 11.4M including premium from a lower estimate of £ 4M a view taken from the Riva degli Schiavoni, in the superb light of the end of the day, with the Bucentaur docked at the Molo.
This 152 x 138 cm oil on canvas was painted circa 1754. Canaletto, settled in London since 1746, certainly responded to a specific request from an English aristocrat who will be its first owner. The canvas is still in its period frame of English style, carved, pierced and gilded.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1768 A Venitian Masterpiece by Francesco Guardi
2011 SOLD 26.7 M£ including premium
The wealthy English tourists enabled the development of vedute, these realistic paintings of urban scenes of Rome and Venice.
In Venice indeed, in the late 1760s, the uncontested master of the genre, Canaletto, is aging. He died in 1768.
It is certainly no coincidence that the most achieved works of Francesco Guardi date from the same period: Canaletto's position on the market was to be taken.
In this time of greater maturity, Guardi executed very few large paintings. The view from the Rialto Bridge, an oil on canvas 120 x 204 cm, for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 6, is exceptional. It is estimated £ 15M.
As ever, the architectures are much detailed. The dense and gentle animation is typical of Guardi, but the cloudy atmosphere and contrasting sunlight are worthy of Canaletto. This work was sold in 1768 : to an Englishman, of course.
It is shown in the press release shared by Artdaily.
POST SALE COMMENT
This exceptional painting was sold £ 26.7 million including premium, in the upper range of the estimates that had been ambitious yet.
In Venice indeed, in the late 1760s, the uncontested master of the genre, Canaletto, is aging. He died in 1768.
It is certainly no coincidence that the most achieved works of Francesco Guardi date from the same period: Canaletto's position on the market was to be taken.
In this time of greater maturity, Guardi executed very few large paintings. The view from the Rialto Bridge, an oil on canvas 120 x 204 cm, for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 6, is exceptional. It is estimated £ 15M.
As ever, the architectures are much detailed. The dense and gentle animation is typical of Guardi, but the cloudy atmosphere and contrasting sunlight are worthy of Canaletto. This work was sold in 1768 : to an Englishman, of course.
It is shown in the press release shared by Artdaily.
POST SALE COMMENT
This exceptional painting was sold £ 26.7 million including premium, in the upper range of the estimates that had been ambitious yet.
1768 From Both Sides of the Rialto
2017 SOLD for £ 26M including premium
A pair of oils on canvases is unique in the history of the vedutas by the conjunction of their monumental dimension, 120 x 204 cm each, with the maturity of one of the greatest artists of Venice, Francesco Guardi. The canvases are wider than the looms in use at that time and a nearly invisible join had been needed in the lower part of the image.
They show the commercial district of Venice, the Rialto, on the Grand Canal on both sides of its spectacular single arched covered bridge which housed shops. Through his picturesque animation and his luminosity, Guardi appears as a worthy continuator of Canaletto.
The sequence of monuments is correct but these panoramas are too wide to respect a unique perspective. The large format brings an abundance of details and an exceptional vision of the Venetian atmosphere.
Guardi worked from the collection of his autograph drawings and the modifications made to the monuments do not allow to date his paintings with accuracy. We will consider 1768 for this pair for two reasons. The death of Canaletto in April certainly generate great ambitions to Guardi suddenly becoming the best supplier of the tourists. The first owner was a young British aristocrat who had his tour in 1768, arriving in August in Venice.
The pair was separated in 2011. The view taken northward was sold by Sotheby's for £ 26.7M including premium on July 6, 2011. The view in the reverse direction is for sale on July 6, 2017 in London by Christie's, lot 25. The press release of 5 April announces that it is expected to exceed £ 25M. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
They show the commercial district of Venice, the Rialto, on the Grand Canal on both sides of its spectacular single arched covered bridge which housed shops. Through his picturesque animation and his luminosity, Guardi appears as a worthy continuator of Canaletto.
The sequence of monuments is correct but these panoramas are too wide to respect a unique perspective. The large format brings an abundance of details and an exceptional vision of the Venetian atmosphere.
Guardi worked from the collection of his autograph drawings and the modifications made to the monuments do not allow to date his paintings with accuracy. We will consider 1768 for this pair for two reasons. The death of Canaletto in April certainly generate great ambitions to Guardi suddenly becoming the best supplier of the tourists. The first owner was a young British aristocrat who had his tour in 1768, arriving in August in Venice.
The pair was separated in 2011. The view taken northward was sold by Sotheby's for £ 26.7M including premium on July 6, 2011. The view in the reverse direction is for sale on July 6, 2017 in London by Christie's, lot 25. The press release of 5 April announces that it is expected to exceed £ 25M. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Une toile monumentale (122x200cm) de Francesco Guardi fait partie de la vente Old Master à Londres le 6/07 https://t.co/99ODYfvEzn pic.twitter.com/hHqqm8dzHo
— Christie's Paris (@christiesparis) June 12, 2017
1841 View of Venice by Turner
2006 SOLD for $ 36M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
Venice had a hard time taming Turner. His first tour of Italy, in 1819, included only a short visit to Venice, which he completely avoided in 1828. Inspired by poets, he conceived his views of Italy and Greece by unleashing his own imagination from sketches brought back by his friends.
Turner had an unlimited confidence in the correctness of his vision. Annoyed by the posthumous influence of Bonington, he exhibited new views of Venice during the summer of 1833 at the Royal Academy, to serve as models of the expression of atmosphere and poetry in painting, without having seen again the City of the Doges. He made his second stay there at the end of the same year and finally considered including Venice in his regular work.
An identical sequence of events took place in 1840, with two views of Venice exhibited at the Royal Academy before his departure for his third and final visit, which lasted two weeks only. This time the ethereal charm of Venice has operated.
In the following years, Turner was making a distinction between the watercolor sketches and the views in larger format which he considered as his finished works, the only ones worthy of being exhibited and sold. His finished views of Switzerland are large watercolors and his finished views of Venice are oils on canvas.
Painted in his studio after his come back, the panoramic views of Venice deserved a larger format than the watercolors. In order not to lose anything in the luminosity and the freshness of the colors, he paints Venice in oil with the same pigments as his watercolors. The pre-impressionist atmosphere also suggests that he had transferred the wet in wet technique of his watercolors onto his canvases, before adding the more realistic narrative drawing of the gondolas.
On April 6, 2006, Christie's sold as lot 97 for $ 36M including premium a view of the Giudecca with La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio. This oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm was prepared by Turner for the 1841 exhibition of the Royal Academy. As often with this artist, the perfection of the composition and the color balance prevail over the topographic reality.
A 24 x 30 cm watercolor showing the Dogana under the new moon was sold for £ 960K including premium by Christie's on July 10, 2014, lot 209. The evanescent clarity may be compared with the atmosphere of the oil on canvas discussed above.
Turner had an unlimited confidence in the correctness of his vision. Annoyed by the posthumous influence of Bonington, he exhibited new views of Venice during the summer of 1833 at the Royal Academy, to serve as models of the expression of atmosphere and poetry in painting, without having seen again the City of the Doges. He made his second stay there at the end of the same year and finally considered including Venice in his regular work.
An identical sequence of events took place in 1840, with two views of Venice exhibited at the Royal Academy before his departure for his third and final visit, which lasted two weeks only. This time the ethereal charm of Venice has operated.
In the following years, Turner was making a distinction between the watercolor sketches and the views in larger format which he considered as his finished works, the only ones worthy of being exhibited and sold. His finished views of Switzerland are large watercolors and his finished views of Venice are oils on canvas.
Painted in his studio after his come back, the panoramic views of Venice deserved a larger format than the watercolors. In order not to lose anything in the luminosity and the freshness of the colors, he paints Venice in oil with the same pigments as his watercolors. The pre-impressionist atmosphere also suggests that he had transferred the wet in wet technique of his watercolors onto his canvases, before adding the more realistic narrative drawing of the gondolas.
On April 6, 2006, Christie's sold as lot 97 for $ 36M including premium a view of the Giudecca with La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio. This oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm was prepared by Turner for the 1841 exhibition of the Royal Academy. As often with this artist, the perfection of the composition and the color balance prevail over the topographic reality.
A 24 x 30 cm watercolor showing the Dogana under the new moon was sold for £ 960K including premium by Christie's on July 10, 2014, lot 209. The evanescent clarity may be compared with the atmosphere of the oil on canvas discussed above.
1908 The Challenge of Venice
2019 SOLD for £ 27.5M including premium
A photo shows an elderly couple surrounded by the famous doves of the Piazza San Marco. Claude and Alice are resolutely unaware of the facade of the basilica behind them : Monet really did not come to Venice for tourism.
Monet arrives in Venice on October 1, 1908. He stays there for two and a half months, with his canvases, palettes and colors. The challenge is immense : all artists have loved Venice. The interpretation of the sun through the mist has already been made, by Turner in 1841. Monet will focus on the reflections of sky and stones in the lapping of the canals and of the lagoon.
The view of the Palazzo Contarini, sold for £ 19.7M including premium by Sotheby's on June 19, 2013, painted at the beginning of his session, is interesting by its false awkwardness. The composition strictly divided into two equal areas for monument and canal, and without horizon, would repel a buyer of postcards. The attention is all the more stirred to the beauty of the textures and to the multicolored reflections.
Now sure of the quality of his art, Monet emboldens himself to compose topographical views of the greatest classicism. Two almost identical close views of the Palazzo Ducale confirm that the artist is more interested in the special atmosphere of Venice, which he calls the "enveloppe", than in the variations over the hours.
One of them, 81 x 99 cm, is kept at the Brooklyn Museum. The other one, 81 x 93 cm, is estimated £ 20M for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 26, lot 6.
When Monet returns home, he sells to Bernheim-Jeune most of his views of Venice. He continues to finish them until their triumphal exhibition in 1912. After the exhibition he further modifies one of the views of the Ducal Palace, in search of the perfect rendering of his artistic conceptions.
The painting that goes on sale is probably the artwork that was improved in 1912 or 1913. The balance of shades is very successful, without a dominant color although the details of the palette are bright. The texture of the surface of the water is of a great regularity. The majestic palace appears blurry, as de-focused : it was not the major theme of the image.
Please watch the videos shared by Sotheby's.
Monet arrives in Venice on October 1, 1908. He stays there for two and a half months, with his canvases, palettes and colors. The challenge is immense : all artists have loved Venice. The interpretation of the sun through the mist has already been made, by Turner in 1841. Monet will focus on the reflections of sky and stones in the lapping of the canals and of the lagoon.
The view of the Palazzo Contarini, sold for £ 19.7M including premium by Sotheby's on June 19, 2013, painted at the beginning of his session, is interesting by its false awkwardness. The composition strictly divided into two equal areas for monument and canal, and without horizon, would repel a buyer of postcards. The attention is all the more stirred to the beauty of the textures and to the multicolored reflections.
Now sure of the quality of his art, Monet emboldens himself to compose topographical views of the greatest classicism. Two almost identical close views of the Palazzo Ducale confirm that the artist is more interested in the special atmosphere of Venice, which he calls the "enveloppe", than in the variations over the hours.
One of them, 81 x 99 cm, is kept at the Brooklyn Museum. The other one, 81 x 93 cm, is estimated £ 20M for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 26, lot 6.
When Monet returns home, he sells to Bernheim-Jeune most of his views of Venice. He continues to finish them until their triumphal exhibition in 1912. After the exhibition he further modifies one of the views of the Ducal Palace, in search of the perfect rendering of his artistic conceptions.
The painting that goes on sale is probably the artwork that was improved in 1912 or 1913. The balance of shades is very successful, without a dominant color although the details of the palette are bright. The texture of the surface of the water is of a great regularity. The majestic palace appears blurry, as de-focused : it was not the major theme of the image.
Please watch the videos shared by Sotheby's.
1908 Haze over the Grand Canal
2015 SOLD for £ 23.7M including premium
Claude Monet stays in Venice from October 1 to December 7, 1908. At first reluctant to interrupt his studies of nymphéas, he immerses himself into the atmosphere of the city.
His view of the Palazzo Contarini, sold for £ 19,7M including premium by Sotheby's on June 19, 2013, is undoubtedly one of the earliest works of this session. The old stone of the monument and the reflections in the lapping water offer a subtle symphony of colors.
Venice succeeded in seducing Monet. Before the end of the first month, he starts one of these series of paintings that are his passion and the culmination of his art, following the cathedrals of Rouen, the haystacks and, more recently, Waterloo bridge.
In his previous series, Monet interpreted the light in various times of the day. Venice is the most subtle of his themes because the artist appreciates that the city offers every day a different harmony. He executes six times in the same format the same view of the Grand Canal in the direction of Santa Maria della Salute.
The real theme of this series is the light of Venice sifted through the haze. The famous dome and an almost imperceptible gondola confirm that such an atmosphere can only occur in Venice. Monet managed the tour de force to bring a new style in the immeasurable iconography of the city of the Doges.
One of the six views, oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm, is estimated £ 20M, for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 3, lot 15.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
His view of the Palazzo Contarini, sold for £ 19,7M including premium by Sotheby's on June 19, 2013, is undoubtedly one of the earliest works of this session. The old stone of the monument and the reflections in the lapping water offer a subtle symphony of colors.
Venice succeeded in seducing Monet. Before the end of the first month, he starts one of these series of paintings that are his passion and the culmination of his art, following the cathedrals of Rouen, the haystacks and, more recently, Waterloo bridge.
In his previous series, Monet interpreted the light in various times of the day. Venice is the most subtle of his themes because the artist appreciates that the city offers every day a different harmony. He executes six times in the same format the same view of the Grand Canal in the direction of Santa Maria della Salute.
The real theme of this series is the light of Venice sifted through the haze. The famous dome and an almost imperceptible gondola confirm that such an atmosphere can only occur in Venice. Monet managed the tour de force to bring a new style in the immeasurable iconography of the city of the Doges.
One of the six views, oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm, is estimated £ 20M, for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 3, lot 15.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
1908 Stone and Water
2013 SOLD 19.7 M£ including premium
In 1908, Monet does not enjoy traveling any more. He wants to devote as much as possible to the ever changing expression of his pool at Giverny. However, a wealthy American woman who was a friend of Sargent manages to invite him to Venice.
Monet was a painter of nature and water. He must completely soak in the atmosphere of a place for performing his art. The old palaces of Venice are a symbiosis of stone and water. After a week of reluctance, the artist is finally charmed and begins to work.
On June 19 in London, Sotheby's sells a view of the Palazzo Contarini. This palace is very close to the residence of his American hostess where Monet is housed at the beginning of his stay, and this oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm certainly expresses his first favorable impressions of Venice.
Monet is not a tourist. The palace is shown in front view and the horizon is reduced to almost nothing. The color shades of the old walls and of their reflections in the waters of the canal are sumptuous. The vibrant impressionist style offers a symphony of rare colors in a single density: amethyst, lilac, cobalt blue.
This painting is estimated £ 15M. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
As Sotheby's rightly announced it, this painting demonstrates the importance of the series of views of Venice by Monet. It was sold for £ 19.7 million including premium.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Monet was a painter of nature and water. He must completely soak in the atmosphere of a place for performing his art. The old palaces of Venice are a symbiosis of stone and water. After a week of reluctance, the artist is finally charmed and begins to work.
On June 19 in London, Sotheby's sells a view of the Palazzo Contarini. This palace is very close to the residence of his American hostess where Monet is housed at the beginning of his stay, and this oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm certainly expresses his first favorable impressions of Venice.
Monet is not a tourist. The palace is shown in front view and the horizon is reduced to almost nothing. The color shades of the old walls and of their reflections in the waters of the canal are sumptuous. The vibrant impressionist style offers a symphony of rare colors in a single density: amethyst, lilac, cobalt blue.
This painting is estimated £ 15M. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
As Sotheby's rightly announced it, this painting demonstrates the importance of the series of views of Venice by Monet. It was sold for £ 19.7 million including premium.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1908 The Incomparable Light of Venice
2015 SOLD for $ 23M including premium
Claude Monet had not imagined the beauty of light on the Canal Grande, particularly admirable when a strong sun is piercing a thick salt mist. Arriving in Venice in early October 1908, he was first intimidated by that new challenge before executing his personal method of observation at different times of the day.
Monet also admires the monuments but he does not feel like a tourist. His view of the Palazzo Ducale taken from north through the Canal Grande is commonplace, with its classic far row of monuments. Yet it is one of the finest achievements from his Venetian stay.
The monuments gilded by the sun are treated with an exact proportion and a great attention to detail with an impressionistic touch that hosts a great range of colors. The meeting of this palette with water brings an even greater variety in the beautiful and sweet shimmering of the reflections.
The surface of water becomes concrete, like on the lily pond but without the use of floating objects. In the distance, a single small gondola provides a contrast at a strong point of the composition.
This oil on canvas 57 x 92 cm is estimated $ 15M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on May 5, lot 40.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's, reminding the former belonging of the painting to the Goldschmidt collection:
Monet also admires the monuments but he does not feel like a tourist. His view of the Palazzo Ducale taken from north through the Canal Grande is commonplace, with its classic far row of monuments. Yet it is one of the finest achievements from his Venetian stay.
The monuments gilded by the sun are treated with an exact proportion and a great attention to detail with an impressionistic touch that hosts a great range of colors. The meeting of this palette with water brings an even greater variety in the beautiful and sweet shimmering of the reflections.
The surface of water becomes concrete, like on the lily pond but without the use of floating objects. In the distance, a single small gondola provides a contrast at a strong point of the composition.
This oil on canvas 57 x 92 cm is estimated $ 15M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on May 5, lot 40.
I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's, reminding the former belonging of the painting to the Goldschmidt collection:
#AuctionUpdate: Restituted to the family of Anthony Goldschmidt in 1960, Monet's ‘Le Palais Ducal’ brings $23.1m pic.twitter.com/eIsBL75QAj
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) May 6, 20151908 Impressionism on Venice
2016 SOLD for £ 11.6M including premium
From 1890, the art of Claude Monet consists of series that were later scattered. Early in this phase, with the Meules and the Cathédrales de Rouen, contrasts are high between the images taken throughout the day. In London and afterward in Venice, and of course with the water lilies, these variations become increasingly subtle.
His long stay in Venice in the fall of 1908 was a continuous working session during which the artist realized 37 oil paintings divided into several themes. Upon his return to Paris, Bernheim-Jeune acquired 28 of these pieces that remained in the artist's studio for the finishing touches.
In 1912, everything is ready. The exhibition of the views of Venice by Monet at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune enchants the most demanding visitors.
From morning to twilight, Monet had observed all the color variations introduced by the play of the sunlight through the fog. His views of the Palazzo Ducale taken from San Giorgio Maggiore are topographically correct but the details are embedded in a beautiful diffused light that encompasses the monuments and their reflections. The foreground of a pontoon is similarly stripped of details to only serve for opening the perspective.
One of these paintings is at the MET and another one at the Guggenheim Museum. Sotheby's sells on February 3 in London another example of the same theme, which is probably the closest to the original ideas of Impressionism and had been included in the exhibition of 1912. This oil on canvas 65 x 100 cm is estimated £ 12M, lot 23.
Monet is not the first artist to express the ethereal light of Venice. The contribution of his art compared to Turner's views is the fact that Monet, only interested in the atmosphere, removes any anecdotal animation. The gondola that slides in front of the Piazza serves only to underline a strong point of the composition.
His long stay in Venice in the fall of 1908 was a continuous working session during which the artist realized 37 oil paintings divided into several themes. Upon his return to Paris, Bernheim-Jeune acquired 28 of these pieces that remained in the artist's studio for the finishing touches.
In 1912, everything is ready. The exhibition of the views of Venice by Monet at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune enchants the most demanding visitors.
From morning to twilight, Monet had observed all the color variations introduced by the play of the sunlight through the fog. His views of the Palazzo Ducale taken from San Giorgio Maggiore are topographically correct but the details are embedded in a beautiful diffused light that encompasses the monuments and their reflections. The foreground of a pontoon is similarly stripped of details to only serve for opening the perspective.
One of these paintings is at the MET and another one at the Guggenheim Museum. Sotheby's sells on February 3 in London another example of the same theme, which is probably the closest to the original ideas of Impressionism and had been included in the exhibition of 1912. This oil on canvas 65 x 100 cm is estimated £ 12M, lot 23.
Monet is not the first artist to express the ethereal light of Venice. The contribution of his art compared to Turner's views is the fact that Monet, only interested in the atmosphere, removes any anecdotal animation. The gondola that slides in front of the Piazza serves only to underline a strong point of the composition.
#AuctionUpdate La Serenissima: Claude #Monet’s dreamlike #Venice scene sells for £11.6 million pic.twitter.com/oVhf43L9uR
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) February 3, 2016
