(Palmanova 1762–1844 Milan)
Venice, the Grand Canal with the Rialto bridge,
oil on canvas, 84 x 126 cm, framed, (GG)

We are grateful to Prof Fabrizio Magani who confirmed the authenticity on the basis of a photograph.
The present work will be included and illustrated in Prof Fabrizio Magani’s forthcoming publication “La Venezia dei Grubacs”.

Bison was born in Palmanova. He began his art studies early in life and by the age of fourteen he had enrolled at the Venetian Academy.He is now considered to be one of the last artists to work in the 18th century vedute tradition in Italy following in the grand tradition of Canaletto and Guardi. With his views of Venice, Bison established a commercial genre to satisfy the demand of tourists and collectors.

The present lot depicts a detailed view of the Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge in the distance.

The Rialto Bridge was the heart of commercial life in Venice, as ships from all over the world arrived to sell their merchandise, such as silk, spices and textiles.
Bison’s detailed panorama includes the octagonal dome of San Bartolomeo, which can be seen above the palazzi in the distance, the Palazzo Dolfin-Marin to the right and the busy traffic of the waterway with gondolas and figures in the foreground.