A View of Venice

Thomas Moran, A View of Venice, 1891, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1968.120.1
Thomas Moran, A View of Venice, 1891, oil on canvas, 35 1⁄8 x 25 1⁄4 in. (89.2 x 64.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1968.120.1
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Artwork Details

Title
A View of Venice
Artist
Date
1891
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
35 1⁄8 x 25 1⁄4 in. (89.2 x 64.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Architecture Exterior — civic — Doge’s Palace
  • Waterscape — canal — Grand Canal
  • Figure group
  • Cityscape — Italy — Venice
  • Waterscape — boat
Object Number
1968.120.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.120.1

Artwork Description

With rich colors and calligraphic brushstrokes, Thomas Moran dissolves the clouds, architecture, and reflections of Venice into a tapestry of swirls and scribbles. Moran built his reputation by painting dramatic records of the mountains and waterfalls of the American West. He then traveled to Italy to renew his creative spirit, first visiting in 1886. In this vista of the entrance to the Grand Canal, he takes artistic license with architecture and topography, making subtle adjustments so that other favorite sights, such as the Bridge of Sighs, are inaccurately visible. In 1890 Moran purchased an antique gondola so that he could continue indulging in this favorite Venetian experience on the pond near his home on Long Island, New York.

Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, 2021.

Works by this artist (731 items)

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Joseph Cornell, Untitled (Juan Gris drawing), late 1960s, collage on masonite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, 2002.58.20
Untitled (Juan Gris drawing)
Artist
Datelate 1960s
collage on masonite
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Joseph Cornell, Untitled (Rorschach drawing), n.d., drawing, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, 1991.155.408
Untitled (Rorschach drawing)
Artist
Daten.d.
drawing
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Joseph Cornell, Bonjour M. Balzac (Peau de Chagrin), 1971, collage, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, 1991.155.309
Bonjour M. Balzac (Peau de Chagrin)
Artist
Date1971
collage
Not on view
Joseph Cornell, Untitled (white cockatoo and other birds), 1969-1971, collage, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, 1991.155.297
Untitled (white cockatoo and other birds)
Artist
Date1969-1971
collage
Not on view

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