Venice by William Merritt Chase

This magnificent study of Venetian architecture sensitively illustrates the keen sense of observation of the artist Chase William Merritt in his work titled “Venice”. This painting of great textural richness belongs to the late nineteenth-century realist and impressionist movement, inspired by the lagoon atmosphere. The painter captures here the daily poetry of historic facades, mixing architectural details and touches of plant life. The harmony of ocher and green tones creates a peaceful and timeless atmosphere.

The painting presents a close-up view of the beautiful worn facade of a Venetian palace, characterized by its sculpted stone balconies and tall windows with open green shutters. Numerous flowerpots and green plants line up nicely along a long historic loggia, bringing touches of red and green to the grey stone. Below, a brick pointed arch opens onto a quiet canal or street. The warm light of the setting sun strikes the facade at an angle, casting elongated and graphic shadows, including that of a pillar and an invisible character, adding a subtle and poetic mystery to this original composition.

The artist values his subject through a masterly treatment of the textures of the crumbling stone and exposed bricks. His refined oil painting technique is fully expressed in the delicate play of cast shadows and the realistic rendering of grazing light. This technical virtuosity gives the facade a remarkable picturesque truth.