Palazzo Ducale te Venetië 1741

Michele Marieschi created this print of the Palazzo Ducale in Venice in the 18th Century. Marieschi capitalizes on a popular trope in Venetian painting, the bird’s eye view or “veduta.” Notice how Marieschi’s print showcases the splendor of Venice and the Grand Canal, the central waterway of the city, here bustling with gondolas and sailboats. Venice was a major port and a center for trade between Europe and the East, but by the 1700s, its political power was in decline, and the city turned to tourism as a source of revenue. Artists created views such as this one as souvenirs for visitors, and wealthy tourists on the Grand Tour eagerly bought them up. Understanding such artworks requires careful consideration of the economic and political conditions in which they were made. Art historians study archival documents like trade records, travel logs, and even tourist guides to get a sense of how artworks functioned in their original social context.