Venice 1894

Konstantin Korovin painted this view of Venice, using oil on canvas, likely at the turn of the 20th century. Korovin was a Russian Impressionist, a school that self-consciously looked to the West. His loose brushwork and interest in light effects are hallmarks of the style, which emerged as a progressive force in opposition to the more conservative academic painting traditions. This image of Venice is not a straightforward, objective view of a city. The artist here presents the ‘floating city’ as a place of leisure and beauty. Note the gondolas in the foreground: the way the artist includes them so prominently tells us something about the function of the city as a site for tourism and pleasure. Korovin seems to have been interested in the way the city presented itself to outsiders. Examining paintings such as this, art historians reflect on the social conditions that shaped artistic production, emphasizing that art always engages with existing social norms. Researching exhibition records and critical reviews helps us understand the painting’s place in the cultural landscape of its time.