Overview
The iconic city of Venice has inspired generations of artists, musicians, and poets alike. Beginning as a Mediterranean trading port, the city quickly grew into one of the most prosperous cities of the Middle Ages. With thousands of sailors, merchants, and travelers passing through her canals each day, Venice became not only a commercial, but an artistic and tourist hub of Europe. Artists such as Canaletto (Italian, 1697–1768) created view paintings and etchings of the city to sell to tourists seeking mementos of their journey.
The artists in Visions of Venice capture every angle of the city. Edward Millington Synge’s (English, 1860–1913) Venice (1906) depicts the Venice travelers want to remember, while James McNeill Whistler’s (American, 1834–1903) Fish Shop (1879–1880) reveals a less idyllic and more human character to the floating city. From the romantic gondola rides to the unseemly quarters, the views of Venice are as varied as its storied past.
Above: Carl Burton (American, born 1937), The Dogana, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy, 1996, digital inkjet print on paper, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of the artist, 2011.5.2
“I have learned to know a Venice in Venice that others never seemed to have perceived…”
James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903)
Organizer
Organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama.
