Venice, St. Mark's Basin - Entourage By Félix Ziem (beaune 1821 Paris 1911)

Venice, St. Mark's Basin
19th century French school
Entourage by Félix Ziem (Beaune 1821 Paris 1911)
Oil on canvas

Contemporary gilded frame
Canvas cm. 61 x 38
Frame cm. 74 x 51
Excellent condition.
The canvas is signed lower left.

A splendid view of St. Mark's Basin, considered the heart and soul of Venice, as well as representing the most significant image of the Venetian spirit.
The Riva degli Schiavoni, the Doge's Palace, the two famous Columns and the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana overlook the waters in front of St. Mark's Square in succession.
In the distance you can see the entrance to the Grand Canal with the Church of Salute and the Punta della Dogana.
A fantastic and surreal place, of absolute beauty, which has inspired an infinite number of artists enchanted by the indescribable charm of Venice and its monuments.
The author follows a typically French painting technique, which preludes, with a brush stroke of great effect, the great innovation of the Impressionist masters, many of whom found the source of their inspiration in Venice.

The bright colors, with the markedly warm tones of the buildings, contrast with the sky of an almost electric blue.

The extraordinary luminosity of the painting is emphasized by the play of light and shadows drawn by the setting sun.

The work evidently presents the unmistakable pictorial style of the great French master Félix Ziem, one of the most important exponents of the Barbizon school. Following a trip to Venice he was stunned by the beauty of the City and by the extraordinary predisposition of his views to be transferred to canvas. In fact, he painted a considerable series of Venetian views, always with a very personal chromatism, accentuated by a light that was sometimes soft, sometimes dazzling, and with the typical bright tones that distinguish his painting.

The success of his "Venices" was truly remarkable and many French artists were inspired by his works.

The canvas published here is signed by an author very close to the Master and captures in an excellent way all the characteristics of his style.