(Venice 1830–1919 Pula)
Venice, a lively scene on St Mark’s Square, signed G. Grubas, inscribed on the reverse “Grubas Giovanni Venezia”, oil on panel, 15.5 x 25 cm, framed, (W)

Like his father Carlo and his brother Marco, Giovanni Grubas followed in the footsteps of the great Venetian artists of the 17th and 18th centuries. He also specialized in Venetian vedutas and drove this genre forward towards a more modern style, in line with contemporary taste. His works were characterized by the particular attention he paid to detail and creating an accurate representation. Grubas was mainly influenced by Ippolito Caffi and Canaletto.
In this lot, Grubas offers the viewer a glimpse of the hustle and bustle of St Mark’s Square, the heart of Venice. The piazza is framed by the most famous monuments of the city. The Basilica of Saint Mark, completed in 1617 and depicted prominently here, forms the central state sanctuary of Venice and is also a symbol of the triumph of the Serenissima over Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. A large part of the columns of the external façade were captured in Byzantium, as was the famous quadriga on the gallery of the cathedral. In the background, the view over St. Mark’s Square opens out onto the Doge’s Palace and even reveals Santa Maria della Salute on the opposite bank of the Grand Canal. Finally, the right-hand side of the vista is completed by the Loggetta at the foot of the Campanile, which served as a meeting place for the patricians of the city.