Edward Pritchett (active Between 1828 And 1864), View Of St Mark’s Square

Edward Pritchett (active between 1828 and 1864)

View of St Mark’s Square

Oil on canvas, cm 25x35,5

With frame, cm 38x47

The life of the British painter Edward Pritchett appears to be particularly limited: in the writings of the time, he was appropriately described as a "elusive" character. Despite the absolute scarcity of biographical information about the painter, we can say with certainty that he lived for more than thirty years in Venice, making views of the city of great value. The artist was particularly close to the circle of English painters active in Veneto and, more generally, in northern Italy, around the middle of the nineteenth century: among these we remember John Wharlton, Bunney, James Holland, Luke Fildes, Henry Woods, and, in a later generation, William Logsdail.

In the painting in question, St Mark’s Square appears animated by a series of sparkling figurines, many of them in typical costume: this aspect recalls many of the works requested by travelers, who, already from the end of the eighteenth century, They chose Venice as a privileged stage of the Grand Tour. The lagoon is represented with light colors and soothing colors, which recall the works of the Anglo-Saxon masters active in Veneto around the mid-nineteenth century.

This particular view of Piazza San Marco, where you can see a slice of the lavish profile of Palazzo Ducale has attracted the attention of numerous artists during the nineteenth century: among these we remember masters such as Grubacs and Corot, who, in La Piazzatta, takes this shot.