Currently not on view
A Gondolier, Venice,
ca. 1835
John Frederick Lewis, 1805–1876; born London, England; died Walton-on-Thames, England
1996-265
Because of its rich history of trade and exotic aesthetic influences, Venice was the gateway to the East, not only for travelers, but also for many artists. Here, John Frederick Lewis surrounds his central figure with distinctively Islamic elements in the city's architectural forms: richly decorated surfaces, signature arches, and splashes of color. The artist specialized in set pieces with gondoliers, scribes, pipe-bearers, harem workers, and bazaar vendors against the rich urban backgrounds of Venice, Moorish Spain, and Egypt. Lewis probably would not have sketched A Gondolier, Venice, from life; more likely, he posed models in his studio with props and elaborate costumes gathered during his travels and drew from his large collection of photographs for the backgrounds.
Information
Title
A Gondolier, Venice
Dates
ca. 1835
Maker
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
56.6 x 45 cm. (22 5/16 x 17 11/16 in.)
frame: 78.1 × 67.3 × 8.3 cm (30 3/4 × 26 1/2 × 3 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of The Forbes Magazine Collection: Steve Forbes, Class of 1970, and Christopher Forbes, Class of 1972
Object Number
1996-265
Place Depicted
Europe, Italy, Venice
Culture
Type
Sotheby’s London; The Forbes Magazine Collection; 1996 gift to Princeton University Art Museum.
- The exhibition of the Royal Academy, MDCCXXIX, (London: Royal Academy?, 1829)., no. 532
- Sotheby Parke Bernet & Co. 1983. Old master paintingsI, sale code ROSE. 6 July 1983, London., lot 298 (illus.)
- "Acquisitions of the Art Museum 1996," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 56, no. 1/2 (1997): p. 75-115., p. 75, p. 77 (illus.)
