Venice, a view of the Piazzetta, with the Biblioteca Marciana, Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana

Description

"In the present painting, Oswald Achenbach depicts a subject that is unusual for him. It shows a lively scene in Venice on the Piazzetta with the Biblioteca Marciana and the Dogana. To the left soars the Church of Santa Maria della Salute. Achenbach chooses a low point of view through which the viewer is drawn into the activity as a calm observer. The view roams from the Ponte della Paglia to the Piazzetta. It reveals a spring day with the routine of everyday concerns.
The artist enriches the work with architecture and figures, almost as if driven by a horror vacui. This density is found increasingly in his late work. Although he depicts a lively scene, Oswald manages to convey the peacefulness that is typical of his artistic work. He focuses his compositional power in the depiction of scenes of lasting continuity, in contrast to his elder brother Andreas, who knew how to represent dramatic actions shortly before the unavoidable happens."