Gezicht op de Sta. Maria della Salute vanaf het S. Marcoplein te Venetië 1650 - 1699

Jan van Call created this vista of Venice using pen and watercolor, likely in the late 17th century. The delicate washes of color belie the complex economic and political realities of the city at this time. Note the flurry of mercantile activity in the foreground: goods being unloaded, people trading. Van Call has captured not just the likeness of Venice, but also its lifeblood. The pen work precisely defines the architectural forms, their details articulated with linear precision. This would have required not only a steady hand, but extensive knowledge of perspective drawing. We might see this skill as a form of labor in itself. The watercolor, on the other hand, softens the scene. The clouds feel light and airy, the water gently ripples, and the buildings shimmer in the distance. Together, the hard and soft qualities of these materials evoke the character of Venice, where the monumental buildings are energized by the flow of human activity. The city’s image is inseparable from the materials and labor of its making.