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Architectural Drawing

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Church of the Zitelle's longitudinal plan shows the double-domed structure of the church and its entrance surmounted by a bow-window and a pediment. Built between 1581 and 1588, perhaps after a design by Andrea Palladio (1508-80), the church had its orginal design modified during the construction by Giacomo Bozzetto (1521-83). The current church has a two-storey façade decorated with large windows and surmounted by a hemispheric cupola. Corinthian columns support the first level of architecture. On the top left hand side, there is a staircase leading to the campanile. The main dome is surmounted by a free-standing statue supported by a circular domed structure. The longitudinal plan also shows the relief of the façade.

Antonio Visentini (Venice, 21 Nov 1688 – Venice, 26 June 1782) was an Italian painter, engraver, architect and theorist. He was first known as a painter and trained with the Venetian history painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741). He became known as an engraver by the end of the 1720s when he was commissioned by Joseph Smith to produce engravings of Canaletto’s views of Venice. Visentini started working as an architect in 1731, and his first theoretical work, Libro di Architettura, which included Rococo-influenced drawings by Pier Antonio Morelli after Visentini’s ideas, was published in 1733.

His ideas on contemporary architecture derived from Antiquity and the work of Andrea Palladio (1508-80). Later however, Visentini developed neo-Palladian and anti-Baroque ideas. Visentini and his pupils executed numerous drawings of ancient and contemporary buildings intended to disseminate exemplary architecture. He participated to the foundation of the Venetian Academy in 1755, where he became a teacher of architectural perspective in 1772.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink and watercolour on paper
Brief description
Drawing of a section of the Zitelle Guidecca, Venice, 18th century, in an album of drawings commissioned by the Earl of Bute
Physical description
Drawing of a section of the Zitelle Guidecca, in pen and ink and watercolour, on paper. It depicts, in a portrait format, the domed structure supported by classical columns. It is marked at the bottom of the page in pen and ink 'Spaccato per lungo la chiesa della Zitella.' The drawing is attached to one page of the album.
Dimensions
  • Length: 677mm
  • Width: 512mm
Inscribed on the drawing: "scala di piedi veneti" "in Venetian Feet"
Marks and inscriptions
Spaccato per lungo la chiesa della Zitella (Handwriting)
Translation
Longitudinal section of the church of the Zitelle
Credit line
Accepted by H M Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria & Albert Museum, 2000
Production
This drawing has recently been atrributed to Antonio Visentini by Paola Modesti
Summary
The Church of the Zitelle's longitudinal plan shows the double-domed structure of the church and its entrance surmounted by a bow-window and a pediment. Built between 1581 and 1588, perhaps after a design by Andrea Palladio (1508-80), the church had its orginal design modified during the construction by Giacomo Bozzetto (1521-83). The current church has a two-storey façade decorated with large windows and surmounted by a hemispheric cupola. Corinthian columns support the first level of architecture. On the top left hand side, there is a staircase leading to the campanile. The main dome is surmounted by a free-standing statue supported by a circular domed structure. The longitudinal plan also shows the relief of the façade.

Antonio Visentini (Venice, 21 Nov 1688 – Venice, 26 June 1782) was an Italian painter, engraver, architect and theorist. He was first known as a painter and trained with the Venetian history painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741). He became known as an engraver by the end of the 1720s when he was commissioned by Joseph Smith to produce engravings of Canaletto’s views of Venice. Visentini started working as an architect in 1731, and his first theoretical work, Libro di Architettura, which included Rococo-influenced drawings by Pier Antonio Morelli after Visentini’s ideas, was published in 1733.

His ideas on contemporary architecture derived from Antiquity and the work of Andrea Palladio (1508-80). Later however, Visentini developed neo-Palladian and anti-Baroque ideas. Visentini and his pupils executed numerous drawings of ancient and contemporary buildings intended to disseminate exemplary architecture. He participated to the foundation of the Venetian Academy in 1755, where he became a teacher of architectural perspective in 1772.
Bibliographic reference
Martignago, Katia. 'Disegni di architettura dal Grand Tour. La collezione di John Stuart, III conte di Bute', PhD thesis, Università IUAV di Venezia, 2021
Collection
Accession number
E.8:30-2001

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Record createdJune 21, 2001
Record URL
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