Rio del Forner, Venice 1885

Andrew Fisher Bunner’s ‘Rio del Forner, Venice’ is a drawing rendered in ink on paper, presenting a view down a narrow Venetian canal. The composition is dominated by vertical architectural forms, closely flanking the waterway, creating a sense of enclosure. The artist employs intricate line work to define the buildings, capturing the textures of aged stone and the reflections in the water. This evokes a feeling of quiet introspection. Bunner uses hatching and cross-hatching to model forms and create depth. The linear perspective draws the eye towards the archway in the distance, suggesting an opening and a continuation of the canal beyond. The precision of the line work and the attention to detail place the work within a tradition of topographical drawing, yet the artist’s expressive handling of the medium also hints at a more subjective, emotional response to the scene. Ultimately, the drawing functions as both a record of a specific place and an exploration into the interplay of light, shadow, and architectural form. It invites us to consider how such formal elements shape our perception and understanding of space.