Venice
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : 18th century painting Canaletto UK II Turner Manet Monet London and Venice
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1760-1769 1840-1849 1870-1879 1900-1909 1908
See also : 18th century painting Canaletto UK II Turner Manet Monet London and Venice
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1760-1769 1840-1849 1870-1879 1900-1909 1908
Special Report
Bellini
Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430–1516) was a foundational figure in Venetian Renaissance painting, renowned for pioneering the use of oil paint in Venice (adopting Flemish techniques), creating luminous, atmospheric effects, soft modeling of forms, rich color harmonies, and a poetic integration of figures with landscape/light. His altarpieces and Madonnas feature glowing, diffused light, subtle tonal transitions, and a sense of serene, spiritual harmony—qualities that helped define the "Venetian style" later developed by Giorgione, Titian, and others
CANALETTO
1
breakthrough
1723 Piazza San Marco by Canaletto
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
When the British invented tourism, they wanted to keep the memory of their travels in their rich mansions. Thus a wealthy clientele commissioned Canaletto, who was the best of the Venetian vedutisti.
Canaletto was not the first artist to paint realistic cityscapes of Venice. Gaspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), perhaps better known for his views of Rome, had preceded him. But the accuracy and realism of the views by Canaletto, who composed his paintings with a camera obscura, are unsurpassed. He also had as a predecessor Gerrit Berckheyde who represented Haarlem in the seventeenth century.
Canaletto had a wonderful city as a model, and viewpoints from where he made his works are endless.
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 who may be the prince of Liechtenstein.
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.
An oil on canvas of very large size 142 x 205 cm is the breakthrough of Canaletto's views of Venice. It features the Piazza San Marco from the tower of San Geminiano. The view is dated 1723 from the progress in the rework of the pavement. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Canaletto was not the first artist to paint realistic cityscapes of Venice. Gaspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), perhaps better known for his views of Rome, had preceded him. But the accuracy and realism of the views by Canaletto, who composed his paintings with a camera obscura, are unsurpassed. He also had as a predecessor Gerrit Berckheyde who represented Haarlem in the seventeenth century.
Canaletto had a wonderful city as a model, and viewpoints from where he made his works are endless.
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 who may be the prince of Liechtenstein.
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.
An oil on canvas of very large size 142 x 205 cm is the breakthrough of Canaletto's views of Venice. It features the Piazza San Marco from the tower of San Geminiano. The view is dated 1723 from the progress in the rework of the pavement. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
1732 Return of the Bucentaur
2025 SOLD for £ 32M by Christie's
Two large size views of Venice by Canaletto were listed in the 1736 manuscript catalogue of Sir Robert Walpole's pictures in Downing Street, Westminster, the residence offered in 1732 by King George II to Walpole.
As First Lord of the Treasury Walpole was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. He 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.
In the same format, 86 x 138 cm, these oil on canvas were certainly used as pendants although the date of their reception in the collection is not known. They feature an opposite animation that highlights the extent of skills of the artist in his mid thirties.
The view of the Grand Canal, sold for £ 18.6M by Sotheby's in 2005, is quiet with its gondolas in a nearly resting position. The Celebration of the Bucentaur on Ascension day is active, with rowers hurrying small crowded boats on the Bacino to the Mole, place of the celebration, in a superb accuracy.
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.
This view painted ca 1732 was separated from its pendant just before being sold for FF 66M before fees by Ader Tajan on December 15, 1993, lot 13. The Walpole provenance was not identified at that time. It was sold for £ 32M by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8. The impasto of many of the figures is beautifully preserved.
On July 7, 2005, Sotheby's sold for £ 18.6M the 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.
Overview
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal, 1697–1768) repeatedly depicted the annual Ascension Day festival in Venice, featuring the Bucintoro (the Doge's ceremonial galley) returning to the Molo (quayside near the Piazzetta and Doge's Palace) after the "Marriage to the Sea" ritual.
The 1732 Version (ex-Walpole Collection)
As First Lord of the Treasury Walpole was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. He 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.
In the same format, 86 x 138 cm, these oil on canvas were certainly used as pendants although the date of their reception in the collection is not known. They feature an opposite animation that highlights the extent of skills of the artist in his mid thirties.
The view of the Grand Canal, sold for £ 18.6M by Sotheby's in 2005, is quiet with its gondolas in a nearly resting position. The Celebration of the Bucentaur on Ascension day is active, with rowers hurrying small crowded boats on the Bacino to the Mole, place of the celebration, in a superb accuracy.
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.
This view painted ca 1732 was separated from its pendant just before being sold for FF 66M before fees by Ader Tajan on December 15, 1993, lot 13. The Walpole provenance was not identified at that time. It was sold for £ 32M by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8. The impasto of many of the figures is beautifully preserved.
On July 7, 2005, Sotheby's sold for £ 18.6M the 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.
Overview
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal, 1697–1768) repeatedly depicted the annual Ascension Day festival in Venice, featuring the Bucintoro (the Doge's ceremonial galley) returning to the Molo (quayside near the Piazzetta and Doge's Palace) after the "Marriage to the Sea" ritual.
The 1732 Version (ex-Walpole Collection)
- Title: Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day
- Date: circa 1732 (early 1730s, Canaletto's peak Venetian period)
- Dimensions: 33⅞ × 54⅜ in. (86 × 138.1 cm) — horizontal format
- Provenance and Sales: Formerly owned by Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole (hung at 10 Downing Street from 1736). Sold at Christie's London, 1 July 2025 (lot 8), for £31,935,000 — a record for the artist.
- Style and Characteristics: Painted in Venice during Canaletto's "great decade." Features a wide, panoramic view across the Bacino di San Marco, with the lagoon foreground filled with gondolas and elegantly dressed figures. Warm early-summer light, confident brushwork (e.g., flicks for parasols and ribbons), meticulous detail, and vibrant atmosphere. Considered his earliest and most ambitious treatment of the subject, with supreme mastery and impeccable condition.
Is this the finest work by Canaletto remaining in private hands? Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day was formerly in the collection of Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, who hung the painting in 10 Downing Street: https://t.co/w90YveMG2T pic.twitter.com/bocdh0BQEe
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 25, 2025
3
1754 Bucintoro at the Molo
2026 SOLD for $ 30.5M by Christie's
A view by Canaletto of the Bucintoro at the Molo, oil on canvas 152 x 138 cm painted ca 1754, was sold by Christie's for £ 11.4M on July 6, 2005, lot 20, and for $ 30.5M on February 4, 2026, lot 8. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
This view is taken from the Riva degli Schiavoni, in the superb light of the end of the day, with the Bucentaur docked at the Molo. The waterfront paving is set at an exaggerated angle in the foreground.
Canaletto, settled in London since 1746, responded to a specific request from an English aristocratic family. The canvas is still in its period frame of English style, carved, pierced and gilded.
Compare with the ex Walpole 1732 view sold by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8.
Overview
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal, 1697–1768) repeatedly depicted the annual Ascension Day festival in Venice, featuring the Bucintoro (the Doge's ceremonial galley) returning to the Molo (quayside near the Piazzetta and Doge's Palace) after the "Marriage to the Sea" ritual. The two paintings in question are variations on this iconic theme, painted over two decades apart, reflecting different periods in the artist's career.
The ca. 1754 Version
This view is taken from the Riva degli Schiavoni, in the superb light of the end of the day, with the Bucentaur docked at the Molo. The waterfront paving is set at an exaggerated angle in the foreground.
Canaletto, settled in London since 1746, responded to a specific request from an English aristocratic family. The canvas is still in its period frame of English style, carved, pierced and gilded.
Compare with the ex Walpole 1732 view sold by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8.
Overview
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal, 1697–1768) repeatedly depicted the annual Ascension Day festival in Venice, featuring the Bucintoro (the Doge's ceremonial galley) returning to the Molo (quayside near the Piazzetta and Doge's Palace) after the "Marriage to the Sea" ritual. The two paintings in question are variations on this iconic theme, painted over two decades apart, reflecting different periods in the artist's career.
The ca. 1754 Version
- Title: Venice, the Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day
- Date: circa 1754 (painted in England during Canaletto's residency there, 1746–1755)
- Dimensions: Approximately 59¾ × 54 in. — nearly square, more vertical orientation
- Provenance and Sales: Commissioned by the King family (later Earls of Lovelace). From the Champalimaud collection; sold at Christie's London, 6 July 2005 (lot 20), for around £11.4 million (then a record). Returning to auction at Christie's New York, 4 February 2026 (lot 8), estimate on request (around $30 million expected).
- Style and Characteristics: Described as Canaletto's most spectacular and theatrical Venetian view from his English period. Monumental scale, daring composition, dazzling brushwork, and colorful palette. More focused and dramatic, with heightened pageantry and precision. Pristine preservation; considered one of his most visually powerful works, painted with supreme confidence late in his career.
- Composition and Viewpoint — The 1732 version offers a broad, horizontal panorama emphasizing the bustling lagoon and distant Molo. The 1754 version is taller and more vertical, creating a theatrical, focused framing on the Bucintoro and architecture for greater drama.
- Period and Technique — 1732: Peak freshness, warm tonality, and detailed staffage from his prime Venetian years. 1754: Mature confidence from England, with bolder colors, brushwork, and spectacle — described as "monumental" and "visually powerful."
- Atmosphere and Light — Both capture festival energy, but the earlier is lighter and more atmospheric (early summer glow), while the later is more intense and theatrical.
- Market Reception — The 1732 fetched a higher price (£31.9m in 2025), reflecting its earlier date and provenance. The 1754 set the prior record in 2005 and is poised for strong performance in 2026 due to rarity and condition.
1768 The Rialto by GUARDI
Intro
The death of Canaletto in April 1768 generates great ambitions to Francesco Guardi suddenly becoming the best supplier of the British tourists.
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 Guardi. The canvases are wider than the looms in use at that time and a nearly invisible seam 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. The dense and gentle animation is typical of Guardi but the cloudy atmosphere and contrasting sunlight are worthy 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.
The first owner was a young British aristocrat who had his tour in 1768, arriving in August in Venice. Guardi worked from the collection of his autograph drawings and the configuration of the monuments does not provide a terminus post quem.
Rialto by Guardi (1768). The views from that pair have been separated. Compare the Northward, sold by Sotheby's on July 6, 2011, and the view in the reverse direction with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, sold on July 6, 2017 by Christie's, lot 25.
Francesco Guardi's Pair of Rialto Views (c. 1768)
These two monumental canvases, both approximately 120 × 204 cm and painted around 1768, originally formed a pendant pair commissioned by the English Grand Tourist Chaloner Arcedeckne. They represent opposing views of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal, designed to be hung together as complementary perspectives. The pair remained in the Guinness family collection for generations until their separation: the northward view sold at Sotheby's in 2011 for a record £26.7 million, while the southward view followed at Christie's in 2017 for £26.2 million.
Northward View: Venice, a View of the Rialto Bridge, Looking North, from the Fondamenta del Carbon (Sotheby's, 6 July 2011, lot 73)
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 Guardi. The canvases are wider than the looms in use at that time and a nearly invisible seam 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. The dense and gentle animation is typical of Guardi but the cloudy atmosphere and contrasting sunlight are worthy 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.
The first owner was a young British aristocrat who had his tour in 1768, arriving in August in Venice. Guardi worked from the collection of his autograph drawings and the configuration of the monuments does not provide a terminus post quem.
Rialto by Guardi (1768). The views from that pair have been separated. Compare the Northward, sold by Sotheby's on July 6, 2011, and the view in the reverse direction with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, sold on July 6, 2017 by Christie's, lot 25.
Francesco Guardi's Pair of Rialto Views (c. 1768)
These two monumental canvases, both approximately 120 × 204 cm and painted around 1768, originally formed a pendant pair commissioned by the English Grand Tourist Chaloner Arcedeckne. They represent opposing views of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal, designed to be hung together as complementary perspectives. The pair remained in the Guinness family collection for generations until their separation: the northward view sold at Sotheby's in 2011 for a record £26.7 million, while the southward view followed at Christie's in 2017 for £26.2 million.
Northward View: Venice, a View of the Rialto Bridge, Looking North, from the Fondamenta del Carbon (Sotheby's, 6 July 2011, lot 73)
- Viewpoint: From the Fondamenta del Carbon (coal quay) on the south side, looking north toward the bridge and beyond into the Cannaregio district.
- Key landmarks: The bridge dominates the center, framed on the right by the (now-destroyed) Palazzo Bembo; bustling gondolas and market activity in the foreground; dramatic sky and luminous atmosphere.
- Composition: Emphasizes depth receding northward, with lively figures and boats conveying Venice's commercial energy.
- Viewpoint: From the south side (near the predecessor of Palazzo Sernagiotto), looking toward the bridge with the curve of the canal opening southward.
- Key landmarks: Prominently features the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi (treasurers' palace) at the bridge's base on the left; Fondaco dei Tedeschi and fruit/vegetable market with canopies on the right; Palazzo Civran on the far left.
- Composition: More innovative and "modern" in feel, with a sense of prospect beyond the bridge's arch; signed "GUARDI" lower left.
- Style and Technique — Both showcase Guardi's early mature style: smooth yet flickering brushwork, pale silvery palette, and atmospheric luminosity that anticipates Impressionism. They are more detailed and less sketchy than his later works, with subtle color gradations (bluish-gray stone, warm browns).
- Composition as Pendants — Deliberately mirrored: one framed left by Palazzo Civran, the other right by Palazzo Bembo, creating balanced opposites. Together, they evoke the full panoramic experience of the Rialto as Venice's commercial heart.
- Atmosphere and Mood — Shared sense of bustling daily life (gondolas, merchants, figures) under luminous skies, but the southward view feels more dramatic and spatially innovative, drawing the eye through the bridge's arch.
- Differences — Direction reverses the perspective and highlights different architecture (Palazzo dei Camerlenghi vs. deeper canal northward). The northward emphasizes recession into distance; the southward foregrounds iconic buildings closer to the viewer.
- Historical Significance — Among Guardi's largest and most ambitious vedute, they mark his rise as Canaletto's successor in capturing Venice's poetic essence over strict topography.
1
Northward
2011 SOLD for £ 26.7M by Sotheby's
The pair was separated. The view taken northward was sold by Sotheby's for £ 26.7M on July 6, 2011.
2
with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi
2017 SOLD for £ 26M by Christie's
The view in the reverse direction with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi was sold for £ 26M from a lower estimate of £ 15M on July 6, 2017 by Christie's, lot 25.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's Paris @christiesparis Jun 12, 2017
Une toile monumentale (122x200cm) de Francesco Guardi fait partie de la vente Old Master à Londres le 6/07 http://ow.ly/Nvi430cwaxT
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's Paris @christiesparis Jun 12, 2017
Une toile monumentale (122x200cm) de Francesco Guardi fait partie de la vente Old Master à Londres le 6/07 http://ow.ly/Nvi430cwaxT
- This 2017 post from Christie's Paris highlights a monumental Venetian veduta, "The Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi" by Francesco Guardi, a leading lot in their London Old Masters sale on July 6.
- The 122x200cm oil on canvas, capturing Venice's bustling Grand Canal with atmospheric precision typical of Guardi's late-18th-century style, estimated at up to £25 million.
- It sold for £26.2 million—a record for Guardi and the top Old Master price that year—previously owned by collector Sir Edward Guinness and reflecting Venice's fading grandeur amid economic decline.
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 TURNER
Intro
J.M.W. Turner's engagement with Titian (Tiziano Vecellio, c. 1488–1576) represents one of the most profound and enduring influences on his career, far surpassing the more specific, tribute-like reference to Giovanni Bellini in the 1841 painting Depositing of John Bellini's Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, Venice. While Bellini embodied an earlier Venetian foundation of luminous, harmonious atmosphere and oil technique, Titian—as the supreme master of Venetian colorito (color as the primary expressive tool)—provided Turner with a direct model for prioritizing vibrant, atmospheric color, loose brushwork, and the emotional power of light over precise line or form.
Early Encounters and Direct Study
Turner first deeply encountered Titian's works during his 1802 visit to the Louvre in Paris (enabled by the brief Peace of Amiens), where Napoleon's looted treasures included major Venetian paintings by Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto. Turner filled sketchbooks with copies and detailed notes on Titian's compositions, color harmonies, and effects—such as sketches after Sacred and Profane Love (Galleria Borghese, which Turner saw later in Rome) and commentaries on pieces like Christ Crowned with Thorns and the Entombment. He admired Titian's "colour and pathos of effect," attempting to assimilate these lessons into his own evolving style. This period marked a shift: Turner began prioritizing color's emotional and atmospheric potential, moving away from stricter topographical accuracy toward more poetic, expressive landscapes.
Key Aspects of Titian's Influence on Turner
Turner viewed himself as heir to the greats, often pairing his works with Old Masters (e.g., stipulating his paintings hang near Claude Lorrain's). Titian represented the Venetian color legacy Turner claimed and extended. Critics and historians (including John Ruskin, Turner's champion) highlighted this lineage: Turner's luminous, "breathing" colors and mastery of light echo Titian's revolutionary approach.
In essence, Titian gave Turner the tools to transcend tradition—turning Venetian color into a vehicle for Romantic sublimity, light as emotion, and painting as pure sensation—while Bellini symbolized the poetic origins of that tradition. Together, they underscore Turner's deep dialogue with Venice's artistic past.
Early Encounters and Direct Study
Turner first deeply encountered Titian's works during his 1802 visit to the Louvre in Paris (enabled by the brief Peace of Amiens), where Napoleon's looted treasures included major Venetian paintings by Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto. Turner filled sketchbooks with copies and detailed notes on Titian's compositions, color harmonies, and effects—such as sketches after Sacred and Profane Love (Galleria Borghese, which Turner saw later in Rome) and commentaries on pieces like Christ Crowned with Thorns and the Entombment. He admired Titian's "colour and pathos of effect," attempting to assimilate these lessons into his own evolving style. This period marked a shift: Turner began prioritizing color's emotional and atmospheric potential, moving away from stricter topographical accuracy toward more poetic, expressive landscapes.
Key Aspects of Titian's Influence on Turner
- Venetian Colorism and Light: Titian pioneered the use of rich, layered colors to build form and mood—warm reds, glowing oranges, deep blues, and golden tones applied loosely to create vitality and unity. Turner absorbed this "Venetian style" (contrasting with Florentine emphasis on disegno or line), pushing it further into abstraction. In his mature and late works, Turner dissolved outlines in shimmering light and mist, much as Titian used thin, dragged paint layers and visible canvas texture for luminous effects. Art historians note that Titian's hazy, mist-filled backgrounds (e.g., in The Rape of Europa) prefigure Turner's atmospheric seascapes and Venetian views by centuries.
- Atmospheric and Emotional Depth: Both artists treated landscape not as mere backdrop but as integral to narrative and feeling. Titian's innovative techniques—loose brushwork, smudging, and sparing application—created dynamic, breathing surfaces. Turner echoed this in his dissolution of forms into color and light, evoking sublime emotion (storms, sunsets, fog). Turner's Venetian paintings, inspired by the city's light on water, owe much to the Venetian tradition Titian epitomized.
- Structural and Thematic Borrowings: Specific compositions show direct impact. For example, Turner's Vision of Medea draws from the structure of Titian's St. Peter Martyr (which Turner copied in 1802). Turner also studied Titian's figure groupings, pathos, and integration of human drama with environment.
- Bellini (as in the 1841 Redentore painting) offered a more archaic, serene root: early oil mastery, soft modeling, glowing light, and poetic figure-landscape harmony. Turner's homage was explicit and narrative—a invented ceremonial tribute celebrating Venetian artistic heritage.
- Titian, by contrast, was a living, career-long model for innovation. Turner saw Titian as the pinnacle of color's supremacy, influencing his radical late style (e.g., near-abstract works like Rain, Steam and Speed or late Venetian sunsets). Where Bellini provided historical reverence, Titian fueled Turner's push toward modernism—loose handling, color dominance, and atmospheric abstraction that inspired Impressionists and beyond.
Turner viewed himself as heir to the greats, often pairing his works with Old Masters (e.g., stipulating his paintings hang near Claude Lorrain's). Titian represented the Venetian color legacy Turner claimed and extended. Critics and historians (including John Ruskin, Turner's champion) highlighted this lineage: Turner's luminous, "breathing" colors and mastery of light echo Titian's revolutionary approach.
In essence, Titian gave Turner the tools to transcend tradition—turning Venetian color into a vehicle for Romantic sublimity, light as emotion, and painting as pure sensation—while Bellini symbolized the poetic origins of that tradition. Together, they underscore Turner's deep dialogue with Venice's artistic past.
1
Giudecca
2006 SOLD for $ 36M by Christie's
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 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 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.
Grok thought :
Quote
xpc @xpuigc Mar 9, 2018
Giudecca, la Donna della Salute and San Georgio 1841 William Turner 61x91.5 cm. oil canvas
J.M.W. Turner's Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio (exhibited 1841, oil on canvas, approx. 61 × 92 cm) is a quintessential late Venetian view from his 1840 trip to the city. It depicts a broad, luminous panorama across the Giudecca Canal toward the iconic domes of Santa Maria della Salute (often called "La Donna della Salute") and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore, with gondolas, distant architecture, and a vast, radiant sky suffused in golden light, haze, and shimmering reflections. This painting sold for $35,856,000 at Christie's New York on April 6, 2006, as lot 97 in the Important Old Master Paintings sale—setting a then-record for any British painting at auction (surpassed later).
The work exemplifies Turner's mature Venetian style: atmospheric dissolution of form, priority of light and color over precise topography, and a dream-like evocation of Venice as a place of fleeting beauty and transience. Human elements (gondolas, figures) are small and incidental, subordinate to the overwhelming interplay of water, sky, and glowing mist.
Specific Influence of Titian on This Painting
While Titian's influence on Turner is profound and career-long—rooted in Turner's early Louvre studies (1802) of Titian's color harmonies, loose handling, luminous effects, and integration of figures with environment--direct, specific borrowings in the Giudecca are more atmospheric and conceptual than compositional or iconographic. No single Titian painting is overtly quoted here (unlike, say, structural echoes in other Turners like Vision of Medea drawing from Titian's St. Peter Martyr).
Key aspects of Titian's influence visible or inferred in this work include:
This painting, more than many, embodies that inheritance: a shimmering tribute to Venice's light, filtered through centuries of Venetian mastery, with Titian as the key Renaissance bridge to Turner's modern sensibility.
Imagine Titian's glowing, layered skies in works like Bacchus and Ariadne alongside Turner's radiant haze in Giudecca—the color vitality and atmospheric fusion are strikingly parallel, though Turner's is more dissolved and ethereal.
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 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 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.
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xpc @xpuigc Mar 9, 2018
Giudecca, la Donna della Salute and San Georgio 1841 William Turner 61x91.5 cm. oil canvas
- This 2018 post by art enthusiast
@xpuigc
shares J.M.W. Turner's 1841 oil painting "Giudecca, la Donna della Salute and San Georgio," depicting a luminous Venetian canal view with gondolas and iconic landmarks like Santa Maria della Salute. - The artwork exemplifies Turner's innovative use of light and color to evoke atmospheric haze, a technique that influenced later Impressionists, as evidenced by its loose brushwork and ethereal sky over the Giudecca canal.
- Measuring 61x91.5 cm, the canvas was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1841 and is now in a private collection, highlighting Turner's prolific Venetian series from his multiple trips to the city.
J.M.W. Turner's Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio (exhibited 1841, oil on canvas, approx. 61 × 92 cm) is a quintessential late Venetian view from his 1840 trip to the city. It depicts a broad, luminous panorama across the Giudecca Canal toward the iconic domes of Santa Maria della Salute (often called "La Donna della Salute") and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore, with gondolas, distant architecture, and a vast, radiant sky suffused in golden light, haze, and shimmering reflections. This painting sold for $35,856,000 at Christie's New York on April 6, 2006, as lot 97 in the Important Old Master Paintings sale—setting a then-record for any British painting at auction (surpassed later).
The work exemplifies Turner's mature Venetian style: atmospheric dissolution of form, priority of light and color over precise topography, and a dream-like evocation of Venice as a place of fleeting beauty and transience. Human elements (gondolas, figures) are small and incidental, subordinate to the overwhelming interplay of water, sky, and glowing mist.
Specific Influence of Titian on This Painting
While Titian's influence on Turner is profound and career-long—rooted in Turner's early Louvre studies (1802) of Titian's color harmonies, loose handling, luminous effects, and integration of figures with environment--direct, specific borrowings in the Giudecca are more atmospheric and conceptual than compositional or iconographic. No single Titian painting is overtly quoted here (unlike, say, structural echoes in other Turners like Vision of Medea drawing from Titian's St. Peter Martyr).
Key aspects of Titian's influence visible or inferred in this work include:
- Luminous Color and Atmospheric Unity: Titian mastered layered, vibrant hues (golds, reds, blues) applied with glazing and loose brushwork to create glowing, unified surfaces where light permeates everything. Turner's Giudecca pushes this further: the entire canvas breathes with diffused golden-pink light, reflections on water, and hazy horizons that melt architecture into sky—echoing Titian's late works (e.g., The Flaying of Marsyas or Pietà) where forms dissolve in radiant, emotional color. Art historians note Turner's assimilation of Titian's "colour and pathos of effect" to evoke mood over detail, making Venice's light the true subject.
- Venetian Colorito Tradition: As heir to the Venetian school (Titian as its pinnacle), Turner prioritizes colorito (color as form-builder) over line. In Giudecca, color dominates: warm tones unify the scene, creating harmony and sublimity. This stems from Turner's admiration for Titian's ability to use color for emotional depth and spatial illusion, especially in landscapes with water/sky integration—qualities Titian pioneered in Venetian painting.
- Landscape as Emotional Carrier: Titian elevated landscape from backdrop to integral, poetic element (e.g., misty distances in mythological scenes). Turner extends this in Giudecca: the canal and sky convey melancholy beauty and impermanence, akin to how Titian's glowing atmospheres heighten drama or serenity. Turner's 1840 Venice visit (his last) rekindled interest in Venetian masters like Titian, influencing the series of luminous views exhibited in 1841 (including this one and the Bellini homage).
- No Topographical Precision: Unlike Canaletto's sharp vedute (which Turner also engaged with), Turner's hazy, idealized rendering aligns more with Titian's poetic license—prioritizing sensation over accuracy, a trait shared with later Venetians but rooted in Titian's innovations.
This painting, more than many, embodies that inheritance: a shimmering tribute to Venice's light, filtered through centuries of Venetian mastery, with Titian as the key Renaissance bridge to Turner's modern sensibility.
Imagine Titian's glowing, layered skies in works like Bacchus and Ariadne alongside Turner's radiant haze in Giudecca—the color vitality and atmospheric fusion are strikingly parallel, though Turner's is more dissolved and ethereal.
Giudecca, la Donna della Salute and San Georgio
— xpc (@xpuigc) March 9, 2018
1841
William Turner
61x91.5 cm.⁰oil canvas pic.twitter.com/O5anE6Mna6
2
Bellini's Three Pictures
2022 SOLD for $ 33.6M by Christie's
A painter of wonderful landscape views, Turner nevertheless applied fancy to his finished oil on canvas, relying throughout his career on his own pencil sketches.
A view of Venice painted in 1841 in Turner's pre-impressionist brush work of the period is a tribute to his earliest great predecessor in the city, Giovanni Bellini. Titled Depositing of John Bellini's Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, it depicts a flowing procession forwarding three pictures in the leading gondola, in the follow of Canaletto's successful theme of festivities.
Although it was exhibited in the same year at the Royal Academy beside two views inspired by its 1840 trip, it is a unique example in the larger 74 x 116 cm format and the only one with a narration.
The three pictures from the title are visible but so tiny that they cannot be identified. Probably Turner himself did not try it. It is pure fancy : no date has been forwarded for that special solemnity. It is even missing the usual bird's eye view of Canaletto's paintings.
This oil on canvas was sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 46.
Another entry in the same 1841 exhibition was the view of La Giudecca, oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm sold for $ 36M by Christie's on April 6, 2006, lot 97.
Bellini's Three Pictures by Turner, sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 46. Define why such an unusual theme within Turner's series of Venice. Influence of Giovanni Bellini on Turner.
The painting in question is J.M.W. Turner's Depositing of John Bellini's Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, Venice (1841, oil on canvas, approx. 73.7 × 115.6 cm). It was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1841 and later formed part of the Paul G. Allen Collection, selling for $33,595,000 at Christie's New York on November 9, 2022, as lot 46 in the "Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection Part I" sale.
This work stands out as unusual within Turner's extensive series of Venice paintings (over 30 oils and many watercolors from his visits in 1819, 1833, and especially 1840) for several key reasons:
Influence of Giovanni Bellini on Turner
Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430–1516) was a foundational figure in Venetian Renaissance painting, renowned for pioneering the use of oil paint in Venice (adopting Flemish techniques), creating luminous, atmospheric effects, soft modeling of forms, rich color harmonies, and a poetic integration of figures with landscape/light. His altarpieces and Madonnas feature glowing, diffused light, subtle tonal transitions, and a sense of serene, spiritual harmony—qualities that helped define the "Venetian style" later developed by Giorgione, Titian, and others.
Turner deeply admired the Venetian masters, including Bellini, as embodiments of color, light, and atmospheric mastery. In his later career, Turner increasingly pursued similar ideals: dissolving outlines in light and color, prioritizing mood and sensation over precise detail. While Turner was more directly influenced by later Venetians like Titian (whose color he studied intensely) and Canaletto (whose topographical precision he transcended), Bellini represents an earlier root of that Venetian tradition of light and color as central expressive tools.
By titling and composing this painting around Bellini, Turner pays explicit tribute—positioning himself as a modern heir to the Venetian coloristic legacy. The hazy, luminous rendering of the scene (with figures and architecture almost melting into golden light) echoes Bellini's own atmospheric sensitivity, even if Turner's abstraction goes much further toward Romantic sublimity. Art historians note this work as a "tour de force of emotion and mood," where Turner uses the Bellini reference to reflect on artistic continuity, the passage of time, and Venice's enduring allure as a place of artistic pilgrimage.
In summary, the unusual theme allowed Turner to blend historical reverence, narrative interest, and his signature atmospheric innovation—making it a standout in his Venetian output and a bridge between Renaissance tradition and Romantic vision.
A view of Venice painted in 1841 in Turner's pre-impressionist brush work of the period is a tribute to his earliest great predecessor in the city, Giovanni Bellini. Titled Depositing of John Bellini's Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, it depicts a flowing procession forwarding three pictures in the leading gondola, in the follow of Canaletto's successful theme of festivities.
Although it was exhibited in the same year at the Royal Academy beside two views inspired by its 1840 trip, it is a unique example in the larger 74 x 116 cm format and the only one with a narration.
The three pictures from the title are visible but so tiny that they cannot be identified. Probably Turner himself did not try it. It is pure fancy : no date has been forwarded for that special solemnity. It is even missing the usual bird's eye view of Canaletto's paintings.
This oil on canvas was sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 46.
Another entry in the same 1841 exhibition was the view of La Giudecca, oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm sold for $ 36M by Christie's on April 6, 2006, lot 97.
Bellini's Three Pictures by Turner, sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 46. Define why such an unusual theme within Turner's series of Venice. Influence of Giovanni Bellini on Turner.
The painting in question is J.M.W. Turner's Depositing of John Bellini's Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, Venice (1841, oil on canvas, approx. 73.7 × 115.6 cm). It was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1841 and later formed part of the Paul G. Allen Collection, selling for $33,595,000 at Christie's New York on November 9, 2022, as lot 46 in the "Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection Part I" sale.
This work stands out as unusual within Turner's extensive series of Venice paintings (over 30 oils and many watercolors from his visits in 1819, 1833, and especially 1840) for several key reasons:
- Most of Turner's Venetian works are atmospheric, light-drenched views of the city's canals, lagoons, architecture, and marine life—often from the water (e.g., views from the Giudecca, the Piazzetta, or involving the Doge's ceremonies). They emphasize dissolving light, mist, reflection, and the sublime fusion of water, sky, and stone, with human figures typically small and incidental, subordinate to nature's overwhelming effects and the city's ethereal, dream-like quality.
- In contrast, this painting depicts a specific, narrative, historical (or invented) event: the ceremonial carrying and depositing of three paintings by Giovanni Bellini into the church of Il Redentore (a prominent Palladian church on the Giudecca island, designed by Andrea Palladio to commemorate the end of a plague). The composition centers on a crowd of figures in procession, with the framed paintings as the focal (though hazily rendered) elements amid bustling activity, gondolas, and architecture. This makes it more figurative, anecdotal, and story-driven than Turner's typical Venetian scenes, which rarely feature such explicit human-centered ceremony or art-historical tribute.
Influence of Giovanni Bellini on Turner
Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430–1516) was a foundational figure in Venetian Renaissance painting, renowned for pioneering the use of oil paint in Venice (adopting Flemish techniques), creating luminous, atmospheric effects, soft modeling of forms, rich color harmonies, and a poetic integration of figures with landscape/light. His altarpieces and Madonnas feature glowing, diffused light, subtle tonal transitions, and a sense of serene, spiritual harmony—qualities that helped define the "Venetian style" later developed by Giorgione, Titian, and others.
Turner deeply admired the Venetian masters, including Bellini, as embodiments of color, light, and atmospheric mastery. In his later career, Turner increasingly pursued similar ideals: dissolving outlines in light and color, prioritizing mood and sensation over precise detail. While Turner was more directly influenced by later Venetians like Titian (whose color he studied intensely) and Canaletto (whose topographical precision he transcended), Bellini represents an earlier root of that Venetian tradition of light and color as central expressive tools.
By titling and composing this painting around Bellini, Turner pays explicit tribute—positioning himself as a modern heir to the Venetian coloristic legacy. The hazy, luminous rendering of the scene (with figures and architecture almost melting into golden light) echoes Bellini's own atmospheric sensitivity, even if Turner's abstraction goes much further toward Romantic sublimity. Art historians note this work as a "tour de force of emotion and mood," where Turner uses the Bellini reference to reflect on artistic continuity, the passage of time, and Venice's enduring allure as a place of artistic pilgrimage.
In summary, the unusual theme allowed Turner to blend historical reverence, narrative interest, and his signature atmospheric innovation—making it a standout in his Venetian output and a bridge between Renaissance tradition and Romantic vision.
Le Grand Canal à Venise by MANET
1
1874
2022 SOLD for $ 52M by Christie's
The reciprocal influence of Manet and Monet was tremendous in art history. When the Impressionniste brush stroke was developed by his friends, Edouard Manet went to use lighter colors without his previous dark backgrounds. He also began to work outdoors while continuing to complete his best works in the studio.
Venice was another influence to Manet. In a first visit in 1853 while he was a student, he had admired Titian's Venus of Urbino that directly inspired his own Olympia in 1863.
Manet made his second visit to Venice in the fall of 1874. During his one month stay, he disregarded the monuments for appreciating the details that brought that amazing atmosphere to the city. He had spent the previous summer in his family home in Gennevilliers in the vicinity of Monet's Argenteuil and both artists had worked side by side and shared thoughts.
Manet painted only two views during that trip, both of the Gran Canale. Their unprecedented style to represent Venice certainly influenced Monet's views of the canal 34 years later.
Le Grand Canal à Venise, oil on canvas 58 x 48 cm, is a daring composition that could please Degas. The focusing point is a misaligned group of humble masts whose blue and white stripes make a bright contrast over the rest of the scenery including a half hidden soft pink Santa Maria della Salute. He added a cropped gondola at both sides of the picture. The reflections in the rippling water are inspired by Monet's views of the Seine.
It was sold for $ 52M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 27. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought :
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Dr. Kyriakos N. Papathanassiou, CPA, FRPSL, AIEP @Hermes1861 Sep 24, 2022
Christie's announced that an auction of Paul Allen's art collection would be held in November. The largest auction in auction history, includes works by Van Gogh, Signac, Cezanne, Monet, Seurat, Manet, Gaugin, Turner, Kadinsky, Klimt. My favorite, Manet's Le Grand Canal a Venice.
Venice was another influence to Manet. In a first visit in 1853 while he was a student, he had admired Titian's Venus of Urbino that directly inspired his own Olympia in 1863.
Manet made his second visit to Venice in the fall of 1874. During his one month stay, he disregarded the monuments for appreciating the details that brought that amazing atmosphere to the city. He had spent the previous summer in his family home in Gennevilliers in the vicinity of Monet's Argenteuil and both artists had worked side by side and shared thoughts.
Manet painted only two views during that trip, both of the Gran Canale. Their unprecedented style to represent Venice certainly influenced Monet's views of the canal 34 years later.
Le Grand Canal à Venise, oil on canvas 58 x 48 cm, is a daring composition that could please Degas. The focusing point is a misaligned group of humble masts whose blue and white stripes make a bright contrast over the rest of the scenery including a half hidden soft pink Santa Maria della Salute. He added a cropped gondola at both sides of the picture. The reflections in the rippling water are inspired by Monet's views of the Seine.
It was sold for $ 52M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 27. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought :
Quote
Dr. Kyriakos N. Papathanassiou, CPA, FRPSL, AIEP @Hermes1861 Sep 24, 2022
Christie's announced that an auction of Paul Allen's art collection would be held in November. The largest auction in auction history, includes works by Van Gogh, Signac, Cezanne, Monet, Seurat, Manet, Gaugin, Turner, Kadinsky, Klimt. My favorite, Manet's Le Grand Canal a Venice.
- This September 2022 post by art collector Dr. Kyriakos Papathanassiou announces Christie's auction of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's collection, billed as the largest in history with over 150 Impressionist and Modern works by artists including Van Gogh and Monet.
- Allen, who died in 2018, built the $1.6 billion trove over 40 years; the November sale shattered records by raising $1.62 billion, with all proceeds funding science, arts, and environmental causes per his will.
- The highlighted Manet painting, "Le Grand Canal à Venise" (1874), an oil capturing Venice's canals with loose Impressionist strokes, fetched $51.9 million—nearly double its high estimate—underscoring strong demand for French 19th-century views of Italy.
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1 bis
for reference
1874-1875
Shelburne Museum
The other view of Venice by Manet, 64 x 75 cm completed in 1875, focuses on a gondola with a standing gondolier paddling behind similar masts.The image is shared by Wikimedia.
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Impressions @impression_ists Feb 22, 2023
Edouard Manet - The Grand Canal of Venice (Blue Venice)
Grok thought :
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Impressions @impression_ists Feb 22, 2023
Edouard Manet - The Grand Canal of Venice (Blue Venice)
- Édouard Manet's 1875 oil painting "The Grand Canal of Venice (Blue Venice)" captures a gondolier navigating the canal's reflective blue waters amid warm-toned buildings, created during a September trip with painter James Tissot, marking a departure from his typical Parisian subjects.
- The work exemplifies Manet's impressionistic style through loose brushstrokes and vibrant color contrasts—dominated by blues and yellows—to evoke Venice's luminous atmosphere, differing from his cooler North Atlantic seascapes.
- Posted by art enthusiast @impression_ists, the image garnered over 1,200 likes in 2023, highlighting ongoing appreciation for Manet's rare Venetian piece now housed at Vermont's Shelburne Museum.
1908 MONET
Intro
Monet's 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.
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.
In 1912, everything is ready. The exhibition of the views of Venice by Monet at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune enchants the most demanding visitors.
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.
1
Palazzo Ducale
2019 SOLD for £ 27.5M by Sotheby's
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 by Sotheby's in 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. These views were his first work in the morning, starting at 8 o'clock.
One of them, 81 x 99 cm, is kept at the Brooklyn Museum. The other one, 81 x 93 cm, was sold for £ 27.5M by Sotheby's on February 26, 2019, 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 by Sotheby's in 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. These views were his first work in the morning, starting at 8 o'clock.
One of them, 81 x 99 cm, is kept at the Brooklyn Museum. The other one, 81 x 93 cm, was sold for £ 27.5M by Sotheby's on February 26, 2019, 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.
2
W1739 Grand Canal
2015 SOLD for £ 23.7M by Sotheby's
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.
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, was sold for £ 23.7M by Sotheby's on February 3, 2015, lot 15. Please watch the video shared by the auction house :
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, was sold for £ 23.7M by Sotheby's on February 3, 2015, lot 15. Please watch the video shared by the auction house :
3
W1740 Grand Canal
2022 SOLD for $ 57M by Sotheby's
The next Wildenstein number from the example above is a very similar view of the Grand Canal with Santa Maria della Salute in the opposite bank, in the same 73 x 92 cm format. It is taken from farther away from the first pole, and the lower step corner of the Palazzo Barbaro over the canal has been added.
These after lunch pictures ended at 3 o'clock Claude's working day. He would then relax until twilight in a gondola tour with Alice.
The weather is sunny. The difference between both pieces is the attempt by the artist to catch subtle changes in the mirage-like atmosphere and haze of the water scenery caught in another early afternoon.
The surface of the canal is iridescent of a wide range of reflected colors providing the effect of a splashing water. Far away gondolas have been added.
This oil on canvas was sold for $ 57M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2022, lot 8. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Grok thought :
Quote
Wall Power @artmarket Mar 25, 2022
The Monet market has been raging. Now Sotheby's is pulling out a Venetian painting with a $50m asking price. They may be shooting too low: https://liveart.io/blogs/editorials/sothebys-announces-in-taipei-50m-monet-for-may…
These after lunch pictures ended at 3 o'clock Claude's working day. He would then relax until twilight in a gondola tour with Alice.
The weather is sunny. The difference between both pieces is the attempt by the artist to catch subtle changes in the mirage-like atmosphere and haze of the water scenery caught in another early afternoon.
The surface of the canal is iridescent of a wide range of reflected colors providing the effect of a splashing water. Far away gondolas have been added.
This oil on canvas was sold for $ 57M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2022, lot 8. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Grok thought :
Quote
Wall Power @artmarket Mar 25, 2022
The Monet market has been raging. Now Sotheby's is pulling out a Venetian painting with a $50m asking price. They may be shooting too low: https://liveart.io/blogs/editorials/sothebys-announces-in-taipei-50m-monet-for-may…
- This 2022 post by art market commentator @artmarket highlights the post-pandemic surge in Monet prices, linking to news of a rare 1908 Venetian canvas estimated at $50 million for Sotheby's May auction, suggesting the price was conservative.
- The attached image depicts Claude Monet's "Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute," one of six similar views from his Venice trip, with only three privately held; prior sales of comparable works ranged from $6.8 million to $36 million pre-2020, but pandemic-era demand doubled values for similar pieces.
- The painting sold for a record $56.6 million, exceeding estimates by 13% and setting a benchmark for Monet's Venice series, underscoring the post's prescient insight into market momentum
The Monet market has been raging. Now Sotheby's is pulling out a Venetian painting with a $50m asking price. They may be shooting too low: https://t.co/wmtcwaJhA4 pic.twitter.com/Hj59nApK2e
— LiveArt (@artmarket) March 25, 2022
