ANTONIETTA BRANDEIS | CAMPO SAN GIACOMO DALL'ORIO

Sale: Christie, Manson & Woods, May 31, 1912, lot 95 (as The Piazza in Campo S. Giacomo Dall'Orio, Venice)

Wallis, London (acquired at the above sale) 

Private Collection, Montreal (acquired before 1970)

Thence by descent to the present owner 

Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio is one of the largest and most impressive compositions by the Czech painter Antonietta Brandeis, who is best known for small, charming and highly detailed views of Venice. The artist came to the city from Prague with her widowed mother in the 1860s. In 1867, Brandeis enrolled in l'Accademia di Belle Arti, where she was a successful pupil and graduated at the top of her class as one of only two female students. During her studies, she began exhibiting at the Accademia and continued to do so throughout her career.

Brandeis devoted much of her oeuvre to Venetian scenes, known as vedute. Her keen eye for architectural details and the luminosity of her palette produced vivacious, dynamic views, from bustling piazzas to quieter, more secluded canals and courtyards. These colorful works were the perfect memento for tourists visiting Venice as part of the Grand Tour. Among the artist’s circle were the painters Martín Rico y Ortega and Federico del Campo, who were likewise expatriates completely captivated by and dedicated to painting Venice.

By the mid-1880s, Brandeis’ address was recorded as no. 1494 on the Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio, the setting of the present work, and she resided there until at least 1906. The Campo, which is tucked away in the Santa Croce district of Venice, has long been known for its outdoor cafes and as a place where children play and locals meet. The imposing structure at right is the Church of San Giacomo dall’Orio, one of the oldest in Venice. It was built in the ninth century, with later modifications in the thirteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Brandeis depicts a lively, crowded festival, complete with food and craft vendors and various entertainments. At right, patrons can be seen entering the church to worship, the candlelit interior a quiet refuge from the boisterous activities outside. Today the Campo is still known for its outdoor entertainment and festivals. Every July, locals and tourists alike gather here for the Festa di Beneficenza, a celebration with live music and games in honor of the patron saint Giacomo. It is possible that Brandeis’ composition features this event. The artist’s love for the Campo is illustrated in the present work, in which she has captured every detail and the spirit of this beloved space.

The earliest known provenance of Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio is an auction in London in 1912. By the early 1900s, Brandeis had grown disenchanted with her adopted hometown and exhibited at the Accademia less frequently, instead favoring England. In 1906, the artist explained, “I am a foreigner, and for some time I have no longer participated in any Italian exhibition, sending all of my paintings to London” (quoted in Paolo Serafini, Antonietta Brandeis (1848-1926), exh. cat., Modenantiquaria Unica, Modena, February 13-21, 2010, p. 26).

We would like to thank Charles Beddington for confirming the authenticity of this lot from a photograph.