Eugen von Blaas

Private Collection, Austria

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This work has been restored. The restoration seems good. The canvas is unlined. The stretcher is new. The paint layer is clean. There is a faint pattern of visible cracking, but it is certainly not disturbing or unstable. The paint layer is slightly thin in the flesh tones. There has been a small amount of retouching above the eyebrows of both women and in the upper right background. There are some isolated spots in the dresses and background, and a few tiny dots in the arms of both girls. The work should be hung as is.
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The combination of Classical sites, picturesque costumes and customs, and golden atmosphere has lured innumerable visitors to Italy on Grand Tours since the eighteenth century, with Venice a particularly alluring stop. Von Blaas was a passionate devotee of the city and its people and while he created an extensive chronicle of both, he is perhaps best remembered, and most easily recognized, for his parade of famed "Venetian Beauties".

In these works, von Blaas celebrates the everyday lives of humble Venetians amid the ancient masonry of intimate courtyards and unassuming back streets. The grandeur of the old stone city, slowly decaying, provides a wonderful juxtaposition for the vibrant youth of its enigmatic people. Von Blaas presents a timeless archetype that celebrates and romanticizes the traditional Venetian way of life.

The present work demonstrates the style of the artist at his most accomplished and characteristic. Displayed against the pale, impressionistic stonework of the city walls, he depicts two attractive women conversing, smiling and flirting, engaging the viewer as if they were passing them on the street. As in previous works such as Confidences and On the Terrace (1885), the artist delights in recording the simple pleasure of companionship. Von Blaas expertly contrasts the women's coloring and clothing to further heighten the subject's appeal, as well as to create a stable composition that remains light and dynamic. The woman on the left closely resembles the artist's wife, Paola Prina, whom he married in 1870, and is frequently depicted in his paintings. She holds a rose in her right hand, perhaps a love token from an admiring suitor, and gazes at, or just past, the viewer.