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Lot Essay
Born in 1762, Giuseppe Bernardino Bison was a versatile artist who produced work across a wide variety of subject matter and material. Palaces and villas in Ferrara, Padua, Udine, and Treviso bear witness to his abilities as a fresco painter. He is best known, however, for his vedute that emanate from the great eighteenth-century tradition of Venetian view painting with works by Canaletto, Luca Carlevarijs, Michele Marieschi and Francesco Guardi. Bison arrived in Venice in 1779 to study drawing and perspective at the Academy and, as the last great exponent of vedute, he drew on his particular talents as a draftsman and carried the genre into the nineteenth century. These paintings depict the quintessential views sought after by Grand Tourists visiting Venice, documenting both the visual spectacle and refined leisure activities of the lagoon.
The popularity of Venetian festivals was such that Grand Tour travelers often planned their visits to coincide with Carnival. Held annually and ending at midnight the day before Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, the carnival traditionally signified a suspension of sumptuary laws. This suspension allowed people to dress as they wished and participate in profane pursuits such as gambling. Bison uses the iconic Piazza San Marco as a stage for elegant figures in masks and costumes, promenading in groups whilst watching and participating in the spectacle. The figures stroll past bands of musicians while acrobats perform in the center of the square, a performer on a stage at left amuses a small crowd, and street vendors peddle their wares. Bison uses the architecture of the piazza to demonstrate his mastery in drawing perspective; a skill he learned from studying Canaletto's famous views.
The scene of the regatta captures the palpable excitement as frenzied competitors maneuver their boats while onlookers line the canal and gather on the steps of Santa Maria della Salute -- two figures at left have even scaled the rooftop to gain a better vantage point from which to view the race. The tradition of regattas in Venice dates back to the thirteenth century, and was a source of great civic pride. Like Carnival, the regatta brought together high and low society, reflected in the varying degrees of opulence in the decoration of the boats. Bison's depiction presents a sweeping, almost panoramic view of the canal with the boats functioning as orthogonal lines, pulling the eye deep into the picture and around the bend of the canal itself.
The popularity of Venetian festivals was such that Grand Tour travelers often planned their visits to coincide with Carnival. Held annually and ending at midnight the day before Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, the carnival traditionally signified a suspension of sumptuary laws. This suspension allowed people to dress as they wished and participate in profane pursuits such as gambling. Bison uses the iconic Piazza San Marco as a stage for elegant figures in masks and costumes, promenading in groups whilst watching and participating in the spectacle. The figures stroll past bands of musicians while acrobats perform in the center of the square, a performer on a stage at left amuses a small crowd, and street vendors peddle their wares. Bison uses the architecture of the piazza to demonstrate his mastery in drawing perspective; a skill he learned from studying Canaletto's famous views.
The scene of the regatta captures the palpable excitement as frenzied competitors maneuver their boats while onlookers line the canal and gather on the steps of Santa Maria della Salute -- two figures at left have even scaled the rooftop to gain a better vantage point from which to view the race. The tradition of regattas in Venice dates back to the thirteenth century, and was a source of great civic pride. Like Carnival, the regatta brought together high and low society, reflected in the varying degrees of opulence in the decoration of the boats. Bison's depiction presents a sweeping, almost panoramic view of the canal with the boats functioning as orthogonal lines, pulling the eye deep into the picture and around the bend of the canal itself.