Lot Essay
Situated on the Zattere, the Church of S. Maria del Rosario, commonly known as the Gesuati from the order of Poveri Gesuati which merged with the Dominicans in 1668, was begun in 1736 to designs by the Palladian architect Giorgio Massari. It is rich in sculpture, both on the facade and internally, and the ceiling was decorated by G.B. Tiepolo. He also contributed an altarpiece, as did Piazzetta and Sebastiano Ricci.
When the picture was exhibited at the Guildhall Art Gallery in 1899 it was erroneously entitled The Church of the Jesuits, Venice (someone having evidently confused Gesuati with Gesuiti) and described as follows by (Sir) Alfred Temple, the Art Gallery's first Director: 'The pillared facade of the church is on the right, with other richly coloured buildings, and before them stretches a broad sheet of blue water, above which the sun is setting, suffusing the whole picture with a tender glow. The scene is animated by moving boats and shipping.'
When the picture was exhibited at the Guildhall Art Gallery in 1899 it was erroneously entitled The Church of the Jesuits, Venice (someone having evidently confused Gesuati with Gesuiti) and described as follows by (Sir) Alfred Temple, the Art Gallery's first Director: 'The pillared facade of the church is on the right, with other richly coloured buildings, and before them stretches a broad sheet of blue water, above which the sun is setting, suffusing the whole picture with a tender glow. The scene is animated by moving boats and shipping.'