"The most romantic of cities, Venice has inspired generations of artists and writers. Its grand monuments, its countless narrow byways, its canals, and above all the luminous colors and spectacular light effects created by its unmatched natural setting, have always intrigued visitors. Venice held a special fascination for J.M.W. Turner, the renowned British Romantic artist, who visited the city three times between 1819 and 1840 and left a legacy of outstanding paintings, watercolors and sketches that capture the mystery and allure of this unique city. Indeed, Venice's nostalgic, dreamlike qualities were never more completely expressed than in Turner's evocative images. In the introduction and detailed commentaries on the plates, Lindsay Stainton considers the importance of Venice in Turner's work. His vision of the city was shaped by his knowledge of the poetry of Shelley and Byron, an awareness of its history, and a sense of pessimism (evident most notably in his paintings of the 1840s) about a great city which had fallen into ruin through its indulgence in superstition and luxury. Turner's Venetian works were to inspire his great admirer Ruskin to devote much of his life to the study of the city's art and architecture. The 112 color plates presented here - many in color reproduction for the first time - convey the full range and excitement of Turner's Venetian works, concentrating in particular on a sequence of watercolors which are among the most astonishing ever painted. A selection of paintings by other artists who depicted the city is included to show Turner's achievement in a wider context. -- amazon.com
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