In this chaotic environment, artists set up their easels and paint, and sell their art, a lot of it pretty bad. However, there are also some amazing artists that display their works featuring the easy-to-sell Venetian landscapes.
On our first trip to Venice, I had spotted the work of Ugo Barraco, an artist that works in mixed media. However, by the time I ran into him on that first trip, I had already filled my suitcase with Venetian lace from Burano, and couldn't imagine how to get an additional purchase past my husband's eagle eyes, so I let it go with a huge sigh.
I searched for Ugo's stall on this second trip, in October of last year, and found it, at last, close to the Fermata di San Marco, but he wasn't there. Instead, his very competent — and charming, apprentice, Daniele, relieved me of a few hundred euros and sold me an ink and acqua tincta view of a Venetian canal with the requisite gondola.
I liked this one because of the shadows, with the brilliant sun reflected against the buildings at dusk, exactly as I remember seeing it in Venice. I was originally looking for a horizontal piece, but Daniele pointed out that Venice was a city meant to be painted vertically because of its narrow canals and myriad palaces crowding the very edges of the water.
Daniele rolled it up, and packed it in a very sturdy tube, and I had it framed here in the U.S. The frame is gilded, and has an arabesque pattern that seems well-suited to the subject. It's my new pride and joy.
