Félix Ziem

Acquired by the family of the present owner before the 1920s (possibly directly from the artist)

Held in a decorative gilt frame. The colours are overall less red, somewhat brighter and richer in reality than in the catalogue illustration. The following condition report has been prepared by Hamish Dewar Ltd., of 13 & 14 Mason's Yard, London SW1Y 6BU: UNCONDITIONAL AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE Structural condition The canvas is lined and is securely attached to a keyed wooden stretcher. This is providing an even and secure structural support. Paint surface The paint surface has an even varnish layer. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows some very small spots of inpainting within the sky, including a small area within the sky just above the boat on the left of the composition. There is also a thin diagonal line of retouching within the water in the lower left of the composition. Inspection under ultra-violet light also shows a discoloured varnish layer within the darker pigments in the lower part of the composition as the painting has been selectively cleaned in the past. Summary The painting therefore appears to be in very good and stable condition and no work is required.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Félix Ziem was the painter of Venice par excellence. He visited the city more than twenty times, executing numerous views of its lagoon and canals. The commercial success of his Venice views has often obscured their originality and the diversity of their compositions. The vivacity and freshness of his palette, Ziem's determination to seize fleeting effects of light, and his ability to transcribe the iridescence of sunlight on water have often invoked comparison with Impressionism. In fact, the spirit of his work was fundamentally different. Ziem wanted to express the poetic quality of his subject, to transform it into a dream-like vision, rather than to transcribe an immediate reality.