Artwork
Alighting from a Gondola in Venice
Alighting from a Gondola in Venice is an oil painting by the Realist artist Wilhelm Marstrand. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created by Wilhelm Marstrand in 1854, the work captures a slice of daily life within the Venetian waterways rather than a mythological or historical narrative.
The painting depicts a genre scene set on the Grand Canal in Venice, focusing on the moment a figure alights from a gondola. Created by Wilhelm Marstrand in 1854, the work captures a slice of daily life within the Venetian waterways rather than a mythological or historical narrative. As a genre painting, it represents the artist's observation of contemporary travel and social interaction in the city.
The composition centers on the gondola and the canal environment, grounding the subject in the specific geography of Venice.
Technique & Style
Alighting from a Gondola in Venice is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work measures 390.0 cm in height by 540.0 cm in width and was completed in 1854. Marstrand employed oil paint to render the scene of a figure descending from a gondola on Venice's Grand Canal, achieving a naturalistic yet atmospheric handling of light and color that characterizes his genre scenes.
The composition demonstrates careful attention to spatial depth and the fluid dynamics of water, reflecting formal qualities typical of mid-19th-century Danish academic painting.
History & Provenance
Alighting from a Gondola in Venice was produced by Wilhelm Marstrand in 1854, executed in oil paint on canvas. The work entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains held.
No additional information about a commissioning party, prior owners, intermediate custodians, or the circumstances of its creation is documented in the available sources.
Legacy
The painting's influence is noted through its inclusion in major exhibitions and its presence in prominent collections, establishing Marstrand's role in 19th-century Danish genre painting. Its legacy is reinforced by scholarly attention to its depiction of Venetian daily life, reflecting broader European artistic interests in Mediterranean subjects during the period.
The work is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it has been featured in exhibitions highlighting Nordic art's engagement with Southern European themes.
Overview
Created in 1854 by Danish painter Wilhelm Marstrand, Alighting from a Gondola in Venice is an oil on canvas that captures a moment on the Grand Canal. The composition presents a group of travelers disembarking from a gondola onto a stone quay, framed by the characteristic red‑tiled façades of Venetian architecture under a light blue sky.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolai Wilhelm Marstrand (24 December 1810 – 25 March 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith.
