Hotspurπ³οΈβππΊπ¦"View in Venice - The Grand Canal," Γdouard Manet, 1875.
Paintings of Venice can be insipid and uninspiring, reminiscent of mass-produced prints once available in department store catalogs. But here we have something interesting.
Manet (1832-83) was one of the greats of his time, courting controversy (with paintings like "Olympia" and "Luncheon on the Grass") while also garnering praise for his style and technique. In the 1870s he had done several paintings depicting boats and boating, so it seemed natural that he would try Venice.
Apparently he struggled with this painting, trying to get everything just right. He took several attempts at that church dome to the right; you can see a shadowy outline behind it. That's where he first painted it, then painted over, but in the intervening years, it's begun to show through. That's called "pentimento" in artspeak.
Despite his struggle with it, it looks very spontaneous, a tribute to his mastery.
From a private collection.
