Carnaval à Venise, quai des Esclavons 

Félix Ziem made this painting of the Carnival in Venice, along the Riva degli Schiavoni, sometime in the nineteenth century. Ziem focuses on the spectacle of the carnival. But what is the public role of art? What are the social conditions that shape the production of images such as this? Venice was an independent republic until 1797, and even after it became part of the Austrian empire, it had a unique cultural identity. The carnival was an important part of that identity, a time when social hierarchies were temporarily suspended and people could indulge in all sorts of excess. The masks worn during the carnival allowed people to hide their identities and participate in activities they might not otherwise engage in. To understand this painting better, we might want to research the history of Venice, the history of the carnival, and the history of the art market in nineteenth-century Europe. Only then can we understand the complex social and institutional forces that shaped this painting.