Nicolas Félix Escalier (French, 1843-1920)

A surprise for the inhabitants of the Rialto, Venice

Details

Nicolas Félix Escalier (French, 1843-1920)
A surprise for the inhabitants of the Rialto, Venice
signed and dated 'N. Escalier 1881' (lower right)
oil on canvas
22 x 39¼ in. (56 x 100 cm.)

Provenance

with Goupil & Cie, Paris.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 07 October 1987, lot no.182.

Exhibited

Paris, Salon of 1881, no.849.

Lot Essay

Nicolas-Félix Escalier was an accomplished painter of portraiture, genre scenes and architecture. This painting includes all three genres of painting. The lively expressions of the jovial children preparing to leap into the canal creates a stark contrast with the serene journey of the boatmen. This scene plays out before Escalier's detailed depiction of the Rialto Bridge, standing proudly over the Grand Canal.

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