Beschreibung:

Property from an Important Private CollectionMaster of the Langmatt Foundation ViewsVenice active circa 1740 - 1770View of the River Brenta at Stra with the Villa Capello and the Villa Pisani
oil on canvascanvas: 28⅜ by 47¼ in.; 72.1 by 120.0 cm.framed: 38¾ by 58 in.; 98.4 by 147.3 cm.Condition reportThe canvas has been relined and is taut and stable on its stretcher. The work reads beautifully, the paint layer retains its original texture, and appears to have been recently and sensitively restored. The condition is particularly good in the architectural elements and the water. A two-inch long vertical restoration is apparent in the river at the right of the central gondola and there seems to have been some retouching along the bottom edge, likely to address frame abrasion. Inspection under UV light reveals scattered retouching that seems to have addresses small losses, and certain small areas where the canvas weave was becoming apparent, as one would expect in a painting of this age. The work should be hung as is. Offered in an elegantly carved and gilded wood frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceAnonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 11 December 2003, lot 43;
Where acquired by the present collector, for $146,417.Catalogue noteThis serene and elegant riverscape was painted circa 1750 by the Master of the Langmatt Foundation Views (so-named for a group of Venetian vedute in the Langmatt Foundation, Baden). An artist active in Venice in the second quarter of the eighteenth century, he rendered the scene, illustrating the River Brenta, an important conduit between Venice and Padua, with a theatrical sense of perspective. The wide-angle of the foreground, encompassing both riverbanks, expands the composition’s scope, while the topographical tightening around the vanishing point imbues the scene with dramatic depth.
On the far side of the Brenta stand two impressive estates: the Villa Capello, at left, beyond which the Villa Pisani rises in the distance. Set amid a lush garden, the magnificent 114-room villa, commissioned by Doge Alvise Pisani (1664-1741), was populated with paintings by the leading Venetian painters of the day. In addition to having a ballroom decorated with frescos by Giambattista Tiepolo, the palatial home was decorated with works by Jacopo Amigoni and Sebastiano Ricci among others.
We are grateful to Professor Dario Succi for confirming the attribution to the Master of the Langmatt Foundation Views, whom Succi has identified as Apollonio Domenichini (1715-1757).