Edith Lydia Proctor View of Santa Maria della Salute on the Grand Canal, Venice

An original 1900 oil painting – Edith Lydia Proctor, View of Santa Maria della Salute on the Grand Canal, Venice.

This fine veduta oil of compelling charm shows an iconic view on the Grand Canal in Venice. The bustle of figures in the foreground captures a slice of life at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries on the Venetian waterside: finely dressed tourists gather to be transported by gondola while barefooted local figures sell vegetables on the quay.

The painting is in the unmistakable veduta style, which had its origins in the 18th-century work of Canaletto. Canaletto's grand and intricate compositions reflected the 'stage-set'-like quality of the buildings of Venice. Whilst seemingly topographically accurate, he would often distort and manipulate views to suit his pictorial ends. This painting evidences the enduring popularity of the Canaletto's Venice in Britain.

This oil appears to be by an unlisted female hand, signed and dated 'Edith Lydia Proctor 1900' on the reverse. The canvas itself, Kemp & Co, Holden Terrace, Pimlico, dates from somewhat earlier, 1877–89.

Oil on canvas in a gilt wood frame.