Federico del Campo

Private Collection, New York (by 1968)
Thence by descent

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting has been restored fairly recently and is in very good condition. The canvas has a glue lining and there is a small line of tiny retouches in the sky in the upper right, but the remainder of the picture appears to be free of restoration. It might be possible to carefully further clean the work, but the painting can also be hung in its current condition.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Federico del Campo was among the most successful artists of his time to specialize in Venetian vedute painting for the international market, and this outstanding view of The Doge’s Palace and Santa Maria Della Salute is an excellent example. Other artists working in this genre, which was immensely popular in the nineteenth century, included Franz Richard Unterberger (see lot 7) and Rubens Santoro.

Del Campo's compositions are immediately identifiable through their technical precision and the artist’s masterful application of paint through fine strokes and meticulous glazes. The results boast an abundance of detail, and were rightly prized by European and American travellers on the Grand Tour of Europe. In addition to the observed specificity of architecture, seen here in the Doge’s Palace in the foreground and the Santa Maria Della Salute in the distance, del Campo animates the scene with figures, showing a merchant unloading fruits, flowers and vegetables from a large gondola.