Artwork
The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice
The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice is an oil painting by the Romanticist artist Joseph Mallord William Turner. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
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- Inscribed:lower right: JMWT
About this work
Technique & Style
The handling of the medium aligns with the artist's late style, utilizing oil paint to render the atmospheric and architectural elements of the scene.
Created in 1843, this marine painting is executed in oil on canvas. The work measures 62 cm in height and 93 cm in width. As a marine genre piece, the composition depicts boats within a Venetian setting, focusing on the Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute.
The handling of the medium aligns with the artist's late style, utilizing oil paint to render the atmospheric and architectural elements of the scene.
History & Provenance
J. M. W. Turner painted this marine scene in 1843. It was first exhibited that year at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where Edwin Bullock of Hawthorn House, Handsworth, Birmingham purchased it directly from the show. The painting subsequently passed through the London dealers Thos.
Agnew & Sons on multiple occasions: first in 1870, when they acquired it at a Christie, Manson & Woods sale and immediately resold it to John Fowler (later Sir John Fowler, Bt.) of Thornwood Lodge, Campden Hill; again in 1899, when they bought it for James Ross of Montreal; and once more in 1927, when they purchased it for Alvin T. Fuller of Boston. The Fuller Foundation later gifted the work to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1961.
The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice is held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it was accessioned in 1961 as a gift from The Fuller Foundation. The painting was purchased from the 1843 Royal Academy exhibition by Edwin Bullock of Birmingham, then passed through Thos. Agnew & Sons to Sir John Fowler, James Ross of Montreal, and finally Alvin T. Fuller of Boston, whose foundation donated it to the NGA.
Overview
Joseph Mallord William Turner's 'The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice,' executed in 1843, captures the Grand Canal at the Punta della Dogana. The composition centers on the massive dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute rising on the right, balanced by the triangular profile of the Dogana da Mar customs house on the left. Turner employs a luminous, atmospheric palette characteristic of his late style, where architectural forms are softened by a haze of golden light and reflected water.
The scene is populated by numerous gondolas and sailing vessels, their figures rendered with rapid, expressive brushstrokes that prioritize the play of light over precise detail. Created during Turner's third and final visit to Venice, the work reflects his mature exploration of the interplay between natural elements and human structures. Rather than a topographical record, the painting serves as a poetic meditation on the transient effects of light and atmosphere on the Venetian lagoon.
It stands as a significant example of Turner's ability to dissolve solid forms into pure color and light, bridging the gap between traditional landscape painting and the emerging Impressionist sensibility.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the historic Punta della Dogana, Venice's old customs house, and the grand Baroque basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, both iconic structures at the entrance to the Grand Canal. Numerous boats populate the water, suggesting the daily activity of the lagoon. Turner's portrayal evokes a sense of tranquility and joy, reflecting the serene yet vibrant character of Venice.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in 1775 at Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, where his father kept a barber and wig-making shop.
