Floating between sea and sky, the city of Venice has beguiled visitors for centuries with its exotic beauty and extraordinary history. There is no shortage of letters and travel diary entries dating as far back as the Romans that speak of the city’s magic. Petrarch called it “another world.” French Diplomat and chronicler Philippe de Commines described it as “the most splendid city.” Lord Byron called it a “fairy city of the heart.” Mark Twain described it as the “Queen of Republics.” Before, during and after Venice’s golden age, the city enchanted visitors who traveled far and wide to experience its singular beauty.
From 810 to 1797, Venice enjoyed a sustained period of political stability, wealth and cultural vibrance. Called La Serenissima, the Most Serene Republic of Venice, this era saw Venice grow into a naval powerhouse and one of the wealthiest trading harbors in Europe. The city played a pivotal role in importing luxury goods from the East, mostly through Constantinople (now Istanbul), making the merchants of Venice some of Europe’s most wealthy. They had monopolies on salt production, shipbuilding, and glassmaking. Venice pioneered a sophisticated banking system that was anchored by its stable currency. During the Italian Renaissance, the city was a vital center for art, music, and architecture. It was also a premier center for printing and publishing; therefore, spreading humanist, scientific, and classical ideas throughout Europe.
Venice’s splendor made its downfall even more dramatic. As trade routes shifted from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean with the discovery of the New World, Venice began to experience a decline. The rise of the Ottoman Empire eroded Venetian naval dominance and weakened its trade networks. In 1797 Napoleon Bonaparte deposed the last Doge of Venice and ended the independent republic. The “most splendid city” fell into poverty and disrepair.
When British and American tourists started visiting the Venice in the nineteenth century, it was a shadow of its former glory. The city’s mix of beauty and decay initially appealed to writers, poets and artists, but regular tourists soon followed. American artists in particular were drawn to Venice. Between 1860 and 1920, they visited the city in record numbers. For Americans, Venice was a time capsule, exotic and remote. The city’s incredible history, its picturesque ruin, the gleaming light and soft atmosphere, and the Venetians themselves all provided endless opportunities for creative discovery.
American paintings of Venice offered a broad range of styles, subject matter, and quality. If two artists painted the same the location, their artistic interpretation of the site was often radically different. American artists also differed from their European counterparts in that their work demonstrated stronger notes of modernity. John Singer Sargent and Maurice Prendergast both approached their Venetian subject matter with remarkable originality and innovation. The city’s more relaxed and creative atmosphere was a welcome refuge from the more anxious art scenes of Paris and London, which in turn sparked some American artists to create their best work. Prendergast wrote his brother Charles: “It has been the visit of my life. I have been here almost a year and have seen so many beautiful things. . . .”
The high demand for Venetian paintings among American collectors contributed to the city’s popularity among American artists. Not content to merely record the city, the best artists brought it to life. They captured its energy and history and brought the past to the present. No artist excelled more in this than Sargent. His paintings of Venice and the Venetians themselves stand out as some of his finest work. Through Sargent’s lifelong love affair with the city and its people, he transformed the ordinary and unadorned aspects of history into a resplendent picture of Venice’s mystery and romance.
All the paintings in this exhibition highlight how exceptional and creative American artists could be while they were in Venice. Seeing them together as a group proves the long-held belief that the city drew American artists to it and also drew out their most memorable work.