Lot Details
Lot 1055
Moore Smith
American, 19th/20th Century
Fete at Opening of International Art Exhibition, Venice, 1905
Signed Moore/Smith and dated Venezia 1905 (lr); titled on an old label affixed to the stretcher
Oil on canvas
26 x 40 1/8 inches
This vibrant composition commemorates festivities surrounding the opening in 1905 of the Sesta esposizione Internazionale d'arte della Citt. di Venezia, today known as the Venice Biennale. Copies of the 1905 exhibition catalogue are still extant. Moore Smith, a little-known artist who lived in Stamford, Connecticut and Mount Vernon, New York and exhibited at the National Academy of Design, was not a listed exhibitor. The present work depicts the Doge's Palace at right, and the entrance to the Piazza San Marco. The regal facade of Sta. Maria della Salute looms across the Bacino San Marco; a flotilla of banner-bedecked vessels adds to the gaiety of the occasion. Although the first biennial exhibition in 1894 included only the work of Italian artists, the concept of a more international invitational was rapidly adopted. Among the American artists included in the 1905 exhibition were Colin Campbell Cooper, George Hitchcock, Gari Melchers, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. With its vivid palette and painterly execution, this charming composition reflects the impressionistic bent of the American contingent.
Additional Notes & Condition Report
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
No condition report? Click here to request one.