(Lima 1838–1923 Venice) Courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale in Venice, signed, inscribed and dated F. del Campo Venezia 1888, oil on canvas, 95 x 60 cm, framed, (W)

Federico del Campo
His paintings are some of the most outstanding late 19th views of Venice. Born in Peru, the artist received his first artistic training in Lima from the Italian painter Leonardo Barbieri. He travelled to Madrid where he studied with Lorenzo Vallés (1830–1910) before moving to Venice. Here he became part of the circle of artists surrounding Rafael Senet y Perez, Mariano Fortuny and Antonietta Brandeis, all foreign artists who derived their inspiration from the lagoon city. Campo’s oeuvre largely encompasses views of famous Venetian palazzi, churches and canals. His technical competence and detailed precision, and in particular the astoundingly luminous colouring, are characteristic of the painter’s work - artistic features also present in the work here and which testify to the artist’s prowess. The sunlit architecture set against the brilliantly blue sky serves to accentuate the Arco Foscari and the Scala dei Giganti. It is the interaction between these colours which draws the viewer’s eye into the painting, before revealing the many little details, such as the figure holding the carpet and the extensively detailed portrayal of the architecture, and enchanting the observer.