Water Carriers, Venice

Frank Duveneck, Water Carriers, Venice, 1884, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Reverend F. Ward Denys, 1943.11.1
Frank Duveneck, Water Carriers, Venice, 1884, oil on canvas, 48 3873 18 in. (122.8185.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Reverend F. Ward Denys, 1943.11.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Water Carriers, Venice
Date
1884
Dimensions
48 3873 18 in. (122.8185.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Reverend F. Ward Denys
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — domestic — water carrier
  • Waterscape — canal — Grand Canal
  • Cityscape — Italy — Venice
  • Architecture — bridge
  • Figure group
Object Number
1943.11.1

Artwork Description

Welcome to modern Venice, a living city where local fishermen and families proudly perform their everyday chores, like fetching fresh water from communal cisterns, against a magnificent maritime backdrop. You stand on the Riva degli Schiavoni, the waterfront promenade adjacent to St. Mark's Basilica, the Ducal Palace, and other renowned attractions, but this is not a pristine, souvenir-style view of famous monuments. It recognizes instead the economic reality of Italy in the late nineteenth century, when the newly self-governing nation was in the midst of a dramatic transformation to greater economic productivity. The dragging shoulder of the young girl on the far right signals the contributions of all ages to this recovery and growth. These children are dreamers and workers, poised to restore Venice's leadership in trade, manufacturing, and the visual arts.

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

Works by this artist (5 items)

Richard Wilson, Small Landscape, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mabel Johnson Langhorne, 1956.11.65
Small Landscape
Daten.d.
oil on canvas
Not on view
Richard Wilson, Landscape in Italy, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mabel Johnson Langhorne, 1956.11.63
Landscape in Italy
Artist
Attributed to Richard Wilson
Daten.d.
oil on canvas
Not on view
Richard Wilson, Apollo and the Seasons (Classical Landscape), ca. 1770-1779, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mabel Johnson Langhorne, 1956.11.68
Apollo and the Seasons (Classical Landscape)
Artist
Attributed to Richard Wilson
Dateca. 1770-1779
oil on canvas
Not on view
Richard Wilson, White Monk, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mabel Johnson Langhorne, 1956.11.64
White Monk
Artist
Attributed to Richard Wilson
Daten.d.
oil on canvas
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Alvan Fisher, The Great Horse-Shoe or Canada Fall, 1820, ink and sepia wash, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1966.82.2
The Great Horse-Shoe or Canada Fall
Date1820
ink and sepia wash
Not on view
George Elbert Burr, Untitled (Trumpet Vine), 1889, pen and ink and paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Carolann Smurthwaite in memory of her mother, Caroline Atherton Connell Smurthwaite, 1983.83.23
Untitled (Trumpet Vine)
Date1889
pen and ink and paper
Not on view
George Elbert Burr, Untitled (Botanical Study), 1889, pen and ink and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Carolann Smurthwaite in memory of her mother, Caroline Atherton Connell Smurthwaite, 1983.83.39
Untitled (Botanical Study)
Date1889
pen and ink and pencil on paper
Not on view
George Elbert Burr, Zermatt, 1897, pen and ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Carolann Smurthwaite in memory of her mother, Caroline Atherton Connell Smurthwaite, 1983.83.289
Zermatt
Date1897
pen and ink on paper
Not on view