Franz Richard Unterberger

Rayner MacConnal, London
Sale: Christie's, London, October 21, 1999, lot 114, illustrated
Richard Green Fine Paintings, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner

 

A young woman stands in a small boat by the quayside, and another pauses to gather her mending in her arms. Two children bend down to examine a shopkeeper's wares more closely in the fading afternoon light.  Everyday life is the topic of this brightly hued canvas, but Unterberger manages to combine quotidian details with the luminous glow of the Venetian twilight.  Far from the tourist district, Rio San Geronimo's small watercrafts and simple trades folk make for an intimate scene.  But still the setting is undeniably Venice. The distant footbridge and the pinks and peaches of the terracotta buildings are as unmistakable to the viewer today as they were when Unterberger lived in and painted every corner of this vibrant city.