This watercolour painting depicts the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, which was originally the seat of the Florentine Republic. The palace later was home to the government of the Medici dukes, and their crest is visible in the spandrel of one arch. The courtyard was designed in 1453 by the architect Michelozzo. It features a putto and dolphin fountain by Battista del Tadda after a model by Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci’s master. The marble sculpture of Samson and Phillistine by Pierino da Vinci is visible in a niche in the arcade that runs along the edge of the courtyard. The frescoes that decorate this loggia are vedute (views) of cities of the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and were painted by Giorgio Vasari for the Medici family.
The scene was painted by the accomplished artist A. Marrani, who was active in Italy in the 19th Century. Marrani’s oeuvre includes many paintings of important, historic Florentine buildings. In this work, the artist has employed a light and muted colour palette. He has worked with short, well-blended brushstrokes to create a highly naturalistic picture. The painting is monogrammed and signed in the lower right corner ‘A. Marrani’. It is displayed in a giltwood frame, which is fluted in a manner that complements the lower portions of the column shafts depicted.