The Piazzetta and S. Giorgio, Venice 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have Martin Mower's "The Piazzetta and S. Giorgio, Venice" at the Harvard Art Museums. It's painted in a striking monochrome. The colour feels so heavy and somehow…oppressive? What do you see in this piece? Curator: That’s a strong reaction. I see a deliberate act of reclaiming space. The monochrome, rather than oppressive, can be viewed as a filter, stripping away the romanticized, tourist-gaze of Venice. Editor: Reclaiming? How so? Curator: Think about the historical context. Venice, constantly depicted, constantly consumed. By muting the colours, Mower arguably forces us to confront the underlying power structures inherent in representation itself. It isn't a picture postcard. Editor: So it’s a statement about who gets to represent whom? Curator: Precisely. And perhaps, who benefits from that representation. It encourages us to question whose Venice we're actually seeing. Editor: That’s made me rethink my initial reaction entirely! I see it differently now.