| Thomas Moran first arrived in Venice on 1 May 1886. He was already familiar
with the city through periodicals, books, reproductions, and artworks, in particular
the paintings of the British landscapist J. M. W. Turner. Moran had admired
and
copied Turner’s work as early as 1861 and was inspired by the artist’s
colorful views of the lagoon city. During his six-week sojourn in Venice, Moran
executed numerous sketches that later became the basis for his many large canvases
and finished watercolors. He returned to the city for the second and last time
in May 1890, again sketching the recognizable monuments and picturesque natives.
Though best known for his images of the American West, over the course of his
career Moran depicted Venice more often than any other locale. . . .
:: Eric Denker, Curator of Prints and Drawings
Corcoran Gallery of Art |
Text excerpted from A Capital Collection: Masterworks from
the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
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