(Italy 1850–1897)
Venice, the Grand Canal with the Rialto Market in the Morning, signed Luigi Ferrazzi Venezia, inscribed on an old label on the reverse Canalazzo - Mercato - Erberia - mattino, oil on canvas, 84 x 160 cm, framed

Exhibited:
Rome, Palazzo delle Esposizione di Via Nazionale, Società degli Amatori e Cultori delle Belle Arti, 66th Exhibition, 1895-1896, no. 85.

Catalogued in:
Exhibition catalogue, Società degli Amatori e Cultori delle Belle Arti, E. Calzone (ed.), Rome, 1895, p. 10.

The present picture depicts one of the most iconic views of Venice, including the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal. Constructed at the end of the 16th century to replace a wooden bridge, the present stone bridge was designed by Antonio da Ponte. Next to it on the left is the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, which had originally housed German traders in the city. To the right is the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, the Republic’s treasury office. Next to that is the Erberia, the focus of the composition, which is occupied by fruit and vegetable markets in the mornings. A bit further on is the Fabbriche Vecchie di Rialto. The Rialto was the heart of commercial life in Venice as ships from all over the world arrived to sell their merchandise. The present piece, showing the Erberia in the morning, is a spectacular work due to its scale, quality and strong sense of atmosphere.