Venice

Provenance

Private collection
Sale, Christie’s, New York, New York, October 24, 1979, lot 105, from above
Private collection, New Jersey, acquired from above
Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, New York, December 1, 2004, lot 103, from above
Private collection
Sale, Christie’s, New York, New York, January 23, 2025, lot 361, from above

Exhibited

Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York, New York, American Masters: 19th and 19th Centuries, March 22–April
8, 1972, no. 23

Literature

Olivier Meslay, Turner: Life and Landscape (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.), 2005, 120.

Related Works

Venice, 1887, oil on canvas, 20 5/16 x 30 1/16 in, signed lower left: TMoran / 1887; Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A View of Venice, 1891, oil on canvas, 35 ⅛ x 25 ¼ in, signed lower left: TMoran / 1891; Smithsonian
American Art Museum, Washington, DC

Note

In the 19th century, Venice held an extraordinary allure for American artists. Painters such as
William Merritt Chase (1849–1916) and J.M.W. Turner (1779–1851) were captivated by its charm,
considering it an endless source of inspiration and an artistic sanctuary. Thomas Moran was no
exception. His paintings of Venice reveal his deep appreciation for the city, capturing its essence “like a
poem.” (1) He was most passionate about depicting the bustling waterways of Venice and the ceaseless
flow of boats, as seen in this painting. He believed that this scene best encapsulated Venice’s unique
charm, once remarking, “Venice is an inexhaustible mine of pictorial treasures for the artist and of
dreamy remembrance to those who have been fortunate enough to visit it.” (2)

(1) Thurman Wilkins, Thomas Moran: Artist of the Mountains (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966), 187.
(2) Ibid, 188.