Giuseppe Riva
(Ivrea 1834 -1916)
Oil painting on canvas
Canvas 70 x 50 frame 90 x 70
Very good condition
Original frame
The painting depicts the "Rio di San Trovaso" which connects the Grand Canal to the Giudecca Canal, considered one of the most evocative places in Venice.
In addition to the church of the same name, the canal is home to one of the most characteristic testimonies of the city, namely its oldest and most famous "Squero".
The "squero", in Venetian dialect, is the classic artisan shipyard where small boats such as gondolas and other rowing boats, typical of the Venetian naval tradition, were built and repaired.
The one in San Trovaso dates back to the 17th century and is one of the very few still in operation.
The building highlights a typical structure of mountain houses, an exceptional circumstance for Venice, due to the origins of the master shipwrights, who came from the Cadore forests, as well as the wood used for the construction of the gondolas.
The painting, with evident impressionist components, is a work signed by the Piedmontese Giuseppe Riva, who stood out at the end of the 19th century for his lively city views, particularly of the cities of Milan and Venice, as well as for the depiction of most significant monuments of the Lombardy capitals.
The canvas that we propose here presents all the peculiarities of his painting and describes the view with thick, confident and precise brushstrokes, using the chromatic range that best suits the romantic atmosphere of this particular Venetian corner.