Michele Marieschi

(Venice 1710–1743)
Piazza San Marco from the Torre dell’Orologio, Venice,
oil on canvas, 58 x 85 cm, framed
Provenance:
with Salamon Gallery, Milan;
where acquired by the present owner

Literature:
R. Toledano (ed.), Michele Marieschi. Catalogo ragionato. Seconda edizione riveduta e corretta, Milan 1995, p. 46, no. 2c (as Michele Marieschi);
D. Succi (ed.), La Serenissima nello specchio di rame. Splendore di una civiltà figurativa del Settecento. L’opera completa dei grandi maestri veneti, Castelfranco Veneto 2013, vol. I, p. 249, mentioned under no. 20 (as Michele Marieschi);
D. Succi (ed.), Michele Marieschi. Opera completa, Pordenone 2016, pp. 177–178, no. 15, illustrated p. 174 (as Michele Marieschi)

The painting depicts the iconic Piazza San Marco in Venice, seen from the Torre dell´Orlogio. The wide panorama shows the square in its entirety: from the Basilica of Saint Mark to the church of San Gimignano, at the far right. The spatial setting adopted by Marieschi in the present composition is enlarged to a ‘wide angle’, a solution that allowed the artist to enhance the perspective distortions and dynamism of the figures that animate the scene.

The stylistic features and pictorial quality of this painting suggest a dating to around 1736, close to works by Marieschi including The Courtyard of the Ducal Palace (see op. cit. Succi, 2016, pp. 187–188, no. 25) for which recorded from the client to the painter on the 20 November of that year. This work painting probably constitutes the prototype (op. cit. Succi, 2016, p. 177) from which numerous variants were taken, as well as the engraving published in 1741 in the illustrated volume Magnificentiores Selectioresque Urbis Venetiarum Prospectus, realised by Marieschi.

Michele Marieschi was, along side with Canaletto (1697–1768), Bernardo Bellotto (1721–1780) and Francesco Guardi (1712–1793), one of the protagonists of Venetian vedutism. Little is known about Marieschi’s artistic training and details of his early years remain scarce. He was the son of an engraver who died when Michele was only ten years old. Eighteenth century sources mention an apprenticeship in Germany; however, this cannot be confirmed. He was certainly influenced by the production of Gaspare Diziani (1689–1767), who was also a witness at his wedding. The work of his maternal grandfather, Antonio Meneghini, also played an important role in Marieschi’s education: Meneghini was a painter who specialised in theatre scenography and worked with the Venetian entrepreneur Francesco Tasso on ephemeral decorations for community festivities and ceremonies.