Antonio Stom Venice 1688-1734

We are grateful to Lino Moretti for suggesting an attribution to Antonio Stom on the basis of photographs.  Antonio Stom was a member of a family of painters originally from the Tyrol; Morassi has suggested that Mattia Stom, a battle painter, was most likely the father of Antonio, as well as of Giovanni and Giuseppe Stom, both registered in the Venetian painters' guild's lists in 1707.  Antonio Stom was best known for his battle scenes, hunt scenes such as the present work, and for his capricci and view paintings.  It is recorded that he sold a painting as early as 1717 to Marshal von Shulenberg, making him one of the very earliest of the true Venetian vedutisti (view painters).