Giuseppe Bernardino Bison

Overall in good condition the color fresh and vibrant. Small tiny few losses of pigments near the edge, on the right side on the figure of the man to the extreme right, not very noticeable. Sold in the original bronze gilded frame. Still retains the original glass.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

An extremely skillful draftsman, Bison employed a variety of media in creating very finished works on paper, which he sold as works of art in their own right, not only to local collectors but surely also to the many visitors who wanted memories of their Venetian trips.  His long career spanned the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth.  Bison's favourite subjects were Venetian scenes, and comprise real views and fantasy landscapes, as well as observations from everyday life - sometimes, as in the present delightful gouache, including scenes from the carnival.  He thus carried forward an illustrious tradition established by earlier Venetian painters, whose evocative images of familiar places and subjects have made the Venetian eighteenth century one of the most enticing periods in Italian art.

This exquisite gouache may well depict a corner in one of the many cafes in St Mark's Square. A number of elegant, colorfully dressed figures sit or stand before a low awning. Some are conversing in the foreground, while to the left others, wearing masks, promenade on a tiled floor.  In the background, more figures weave their way in and out of a colonnade, creating an effect of depth and space that is remarkable in a work of this scale.  In this precious and intimate gouache, still in its elegant, gilded bronze frame, Bison has succeeded magnificently in capturing a simple moment of everyday life, and with it all the magic of Venice.