Provenance:

Neri Corsini, Count Palatine and Marchese di Lajatico (Florence 1805-1859 London), Palazzo Corsini, Florence.

His granddaughter Giuliana Corsini (Florence 1859-1959), wife of Baron Giovanni Francesco Ricasoli Firidolfi Zanchini Marsuppini Acciaiuoli Salviati (a printed label on the stretcher reads ‘Prop. G. Ricasoli / Prov. Casa Corsini / Inv. N. 816’) and by inheritance until c. 2000.

Carlo Grubas, originally from Perasto in Dalmatia, was amongst the foremost Venetian view painters of the 19th century. He carried on the tradition of earlier 18th century artists such as Canaletto (1697-1768) and Francesco Guardi (1712-1793), of producing works popular with Grand Tourists as souvenirs of their travels. Although there is little documentation of his life we do know that he went to Venice at the age of seventeen, in 1818, with his cousins Agostino and Antonio Grubas in order to further his study and career as an artist. By 1830 he was working independently and both he and his son, who was born in the same year, became members of the Venice Accademia.

Ferdinand I (1793-1875) was Emperor of Austria from March 1835 until his abdication in December 1848. This painting shows his reception in Venice following his crowning as King of Lombardy-Venetia in Milan 1 September 1838.