Aanmeerplaats voor de Santi Giovanni e Paolo te Venetië Possibly 1631 - 1717

This print, "Aanmeerplaats voor de Santi Giovanni e Paolo te Venetië," was made by Israel Silvestre. Though the date is unknown, we know Silvestre was active in the 17th century. Printed images like this one were made using a method called etching, where lines are bitten into a metal plate using acid. This is laborious work but it is also endlessly repeatable: it was the ideal way to generate imagery for a burgeoning public, especially views of desirable places. The delicate lines that define the architecture, water, and sky are typical of the etching process, and the added color likely involved careful stencils. Consider the skill needed to apply these colors evenly, and to register the printing plate accurately. The print is small in scale, but it gives a sense of the increasing visual sophistication of the era. This was not just fine art, but commercial art, a key part of the manufacturing ecosystem that helped to define Venice as a destination.