Artwork Details
- Title
- Water Carriers, Venice
- Artist
- Date
- 1884
- Location
- Dimensions
- 48 3⁄8 x 73 1⁄8 in. (122.8 x 185.7 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Reverend F. Ward Denys
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Keywords
- Figure group
- Architecture — bridge
- Cityscape — Italy — Venice
- Occupation — domestic — water carrier
- Waterscape — canal — Grand Canal
- 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.