Artwork Details
- Title
- To the Caffetteria – Capuccino’s Time, Venice Zattere
- Artist
- Date
- 1935
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- sheet and image: 5 1⁄4 × 7 in. (13.3 × 17.8 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Moune G. H. Webster
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- carbon pencil on paper
- Classifications
- Keywords
- Figure group
- Italian
- Recreation — leisure — eating and drinking
- Architecture Interior — commercial — tavern
- Object Number
- 1973.124.21
Artwork Description
Cafés and bars were key gathering places for Americans in Venice, Rome, Paris, and other European cultural capitals. In addition to the fashionable venues around St. Mark's Square, including Caffè Florian and Caffè Quadri, many artists and writers frequented Caffè La Calcina on the Zattere embankment, likely the site of this informal sketch. Over coffee or wine, artists might trade gossip, compare works, befriend potential clients, or organize joint ventures, such as hiring a model or making a day trip to outer lagoon islands. Herman Webster's drawings from Venice include detailed studies of palaces and churches as well as casual sketches with glimpses of his daily life.
Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, 2021.