Shadows of Venice; a.k.a. Il Pointe di Rialto, Venezia

 

John Taylor Arms

  1887 - 1953 (biography)

1930  

etching and aquatint 

10 1/4 x 12" platemark 

pencil, lower right 

Trial proof XII 

pencil dated 1930 after the signature; also inscribed: Trial Proof XII in lower left; plate inscribed in lower right: "J.T. Arms Venezia 1929" 

Fletcher 229; Italian series 16; Arms 231; LOC 317; Eaton 231; illustrated on page 114 in Denker's "Reflections & Undercurrents: Ernest Roth and Printmaking in Venice, 1900-1940" 

ivory wove 

ii/ii 

artist 

24601 

$2,250.00 

The Ponte di Rialto is the oldest stone bridge to span the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, and was the sole bridge until 1854. Designed by Antonio de Ponte in a contest offered by the Italian government in 1588 (among whose bidders was Michaelangelo), it replaced several iterations of pontoon and wooden bridges - most of which had collapsed or burned down - that served an ever-growing population centered around the Rialto market. Despite some doubt by rival architects and naysayers, the bridge was a success, lasting through several wars and skirmishes, including riots in 1797 during which cannons were fired from the bridge’s steps with no damage to its structural integrity.

John Taylor Arms depicts the bridge, waterway, and surrounding structures under a noonday sun, as viewed from the shade of an adjacent archway. Shadows deeply contrast against the bright white stone, and a gondola sits idly by, waiting for visitors to employ it upon the calm water. Arms captures the effects of time and use upon the steps, which only adds to the beauty of the graceful structure.