A View of the Palazzo Dario, Venice, by F. R. Unterberger

This delightful painting is a view in Venice of the Palazzo Dario by the Austrian romantic artist, Franz Richard Unterberger (1838-1902), and was executed by Unterberger at the height of his powers, in the last year or so of the nineteenth century.

Depicting the Palazzo Dario not from the water as is usually shown (in paintings by the likes of Monet) but from the south in the Piazetta Campielo Barbo, behind the palace, facing towards the north, this wonderful composition combines stunning Gothic and Renaissance architecture, celebrated by the English critic John Ruskin, with a glimpse of Venetian life. The Palazzo sits towards the back of the composition, above a walled garden with a tall tree, with a small square and market in the foregroud.

Unterberger, born into a large family in Innsbruch Austria, studied at the Academy of Munich and then at the Academy of Dusseldorf. He first moved to Scandinavia where he painted numerous mountain scenes, before moving back to more central Europe, centering in Brussels, from where he travelled extensively, becoming somewhat of a pan-European landscape painter. From the 1870s onwards he gravitated towards Italy: painting panoramic coastal scenes, beautiful views of the Mediterranean, and, in the later 1890s, views of Venice in particular. Unterberger's work has enjoyed an immense international reputation and popularity in recent years, with his views of Venice in particular celebrated for their excellent compositions, exceptional use of colour, and his superb romantic touch and painterly qualities.

Combining a Caneletto-esque eye for detail and composition with a more engaging, inviting, and warm romantic touch, this beautiful painting offers a rare and delightful view of La Serenissima.

Frame: height 97cm, width 85cm, depth 7cm
Canvas: 83cm, width 70cm, depth 2cm