View of Piazza San Marco, with the church of San Geminiano at the far end, and figures and market stalls in the foreground
Original title: View of Piazza San Marco, with the church of San Geminiano at the far end, and figures and market stalls in the foreground
kurzbeschreibung
Giovanni Battista Brustolon made this etching in 1763. It offers a lively view of Piazza San Marco in Venice, with market stalls and figures in traditional dress in the foreground and the church of San Geminiano closing the square. The print belongs to the tradition of 18th-century Venetian vedute.
Description
The broad expanse of Piazza San Marco stretches across the sheet, framed by splendid buildings and columns. In front, several market stalls crowd together, among them numerous people in traditional garments who appear busy with trade and selling. The view's axis ends at the church of San Geminiano. The architecture displays rich ornament and combines forms of Venetian Renaissance and Baroque. Fine gray tones, as produced by the etching technique, pervade the entire image.
Context
This etching was created in 1763, an era when Venice was a sought-after destination on the Grand Tour. City views were highly popular with travelers and often bought as souvenirs. Brustolon worked from designs by Canaletto, which explains the precise and detailed rendering of the architecture. The church of San Geminiano, here at the end of the Piazza, was demolished in 1807; the print thus preserves a historical record.
Impact
Through precise linework and close observation, the sheet evokes the liveliness of St. Mark's Square in the 18th century. The monochrome gray tonality gives the view a calm, almost documentary mood and transports the viewer to Venice's past. Architecture and everyday scenes combine into a vivid historical document.
Technique
For this etching, the drawing was scratched into a metal plate, which was then etched with acid. The fine lines and the detailed rendering of architecture and figures are characteristic of this process. The sheet measures 34.8 × 47.1 cm, the plate 32.3 × 46.4 cm.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)