Provenance

With Willis, Hudson & Co, 29 Orchard Street, Sheffield.

Private collection, UK.

Of Czech origin, Antonietta Brandeis was one of the foremost painters of her day of small, charming and highly detailed views of Venice. She came to the city from Prague with her widowed mother in the 1860s. In 1867 Brandeis enrolled in the Accademia di Belle Arti, from which she 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. By the mid-1880s, Brandeis was living at no. 1494 on the Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio, and she resided there until at least 1906.

Brandeis’ keen eye for architectural details and the luminosity of her palette resulted in vivacious views, ranging from bustling piazze to quiet, secluded canals and courtyards. These colourful works were perfect souvenirs for tourists visiting Venice.