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Venezia! Art of the 18th century Like St Petersburg, Amsterdam is often called the Venice of the North. This name has become especially relevant with the opening of the third exhibition at the Hermitage's branch in Amsterdam, which presents masterpieces of 18th century Venetian art. The curator of this unusual exhibition, which is drawn from the Hermitage's rich collection, is Hank van Os, a consultant to the Hermitage Amsterdam. The exhibition includes 65 paintings, etchings and drawings done by such Venetian artists as Canaletto, Longhi and Tiepolo. The exhibition of these works is complemented by superb examples of famous Venetian glass. In the 18th century Venice experienced one final 'golden age' in its already rich cultural history. At this time Venice was the first European city to become a center of tourism, attracting visitors to its music, theater, literature and art. In the 18th century the education of à young man from high society was not considered to be complete without his making the Grand Tour and accumulating stories of his arrival in Venice and adventures on St Mark's Square. Visiting Venice was a must. It was also deemed necessary to bring home among one's treasured acquisitions a painting or engraving with views of the remarkable city on the lagoon made by Canaletto or Bellotto. At this exhibition one can see examples of the celebrated vedute, i.e. views of Venice painted by artists who worked in the genre of cityscapes. Another genre was the capriccio, fanciful views of the lagoon and various aspects of city life depicted in the works of Francesco Guardi in virtuoso manner. Venice became a city producing European art. Venetians turned up in many countries around Europe. In St Petersburg well-known Venetians decorated the magnificent palaces of Empress Catherine the Great. The Winter Palace was designed by the architect Carlo Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli. Among the painters who created works on biblical and mythological themes and who adorned Venice with elegant painted ceilings and altarpieces, Tiepolo in particular stands out. He also made designs for palaces in St Petersburg. The exhibition displays sketches for paintings by Giuseppe Valeriano which demonstrate how ornamentation and figurative composition could be united in one decorative whole. We also find here a sketch in oils, known as bozzetto, which was done by Giambattista Tiepolo's son, Giandomenico. The works of genre artists like Pietro Longhi captured the city's social life in scenes of balls, carnivals and masquerades. One can also see at the exhibition works of another great Venetian artist, Giambattista Piazzetta. |
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