The Venetian Girl c. 1880

Frank Duveneck painted 'The Venetian Girl' using oil on canvas. It's likely that he produced this image during his time teaching and working in Venice in the late 19th century. Images of working-class people were popular during this period and were intended to convey a sense of romanticism by creating cultural references of people who were perceived to be living ‘authentic’ lives that weren't affected by industrialization. Note the way that Duveneck romanticizes his sitter through her clothing and the almost generic title he uses. She is not named, but rather is defined through her association with Venice. Art historians use census records, fashion history, and a number of other resources in order to study the role of art and its relationship to social and political life. By engaging in this kind of work, we can better understand art's function as being contingent on social and institutional contexts.