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View of Venice [upper center block]

Jacopo de' Barbari

1500

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Cityscape

Dominant colour

View of Venice [upper center block] is a 1500 ink by Jacopo de' Barbari, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jacopo de' Barbari
When & what style?: 1500 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This is a black-and-white map of Venice, packed with tiny buildings and canals. The city spreads out across the whole image, with bridges crossing waterways and churches standing out. At the top left, a winged figure holds a banner with Latin words. The artist used a method called woodcut, where they carved the design into wood and printed it. This was a big deal for maps back then—it made them easier to share. Look up woodcut to see how it works.