Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Gabriele Bella (Venice 1730 – 1799) Workshop of
Venice with the Rialto Bridge
Landscape painter, second half of the 18th century
oil on canvas 59 x 74 cm. - with antique frame 69 x 83 cm.
This delightful view, an excellent example of 18th-century landscape painting, presents one of Venice’s most admired vistas: the Rialto Bridge, one of the city’s iconic landmarks. With its shops and stalls stretching across the arch, it was already a focal point of city life, as well as serving as the only pedestrian crossing over the Grand Canal throughout the 18th century.
We see the canal teeming with boatmen and gondoliers at work, capturing a snapshot of daily life in 18th-century Venice, whilst the bridge’s external staircase is set up, with the erection of wooden portico structures, for the fabric market to take place, featuring a large red drape displayed on the parapet for all to see.
Well executed, characterised by a striking luminosity and a colour palette of vivid hues enhanced by the contrast between light and shadow, it is a work of excellent quality by a talented landscape painter whom, based on the standards of the era, style and compositional choices, we consider to be close to Gabriele Bella (Venice 1730–1799), one of the leading figures of the magnificent era of 18th-century Venetian landscape painting, whose work is characterised by an eclectic style, influenced by the examples of the illustrious Canaletto prototypes.
Although it is difficult to identify the artist’s hand with certainty, we can nevertheless note strong similarities with the works of the Venetian master, seeking the artist amongst the pupils of his workshop.
Active throughout his career in Venice, Bella worked for a long time exclusively for the Giustiniani family, for whom he produced the series of Venetian festivals. To this is added a body of works that the painter executed for his other patrons, a series of views of a more traditional style, depicting notable places and buildings, to which our paintings also belong.
In particular, the iconography derives, albeit with variations, from the numerous prints of perspective views produced using camera obscura: among these are the prints published by Luca Carlevaris in the early 18th century, which served as a source of inspiration for Venetian landscape painting throughout the 18th century.
Luca Carlevarijs, The Rialto Bridge, 1703 The view, in good condition and not recently re-framed, is enhanced by a beautiful gilded Venetian frame.
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
