Architectural Drawing
18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Church of Santa Maria della Salute is a vast, octagonal building, built in 1631 in thanks to the Virgin, under the supervision of the architect Baldassare Longhena (1596-1682), one of the principal masters of Italian High Baroque classicism. The drawing depicts one of the two-storey lateral wings of the church and the stairs. The first level shows Corinthian columns that separate three niches with full-length statues: a larger one in the middle with a large rosette underneath and a smaller one on each side. The second level shows a bow-window decorated by three winged head of putti and surmounted but a pediment with a carved star enclose in a tondo. A croos-section of the stairs shows their design and a cross-section of the façade shows its exterior decoration relief. It was on the occasion of the terrible plague epidemic of 1630 that the Venetians turned to the Virgin, promising to build a church in her honour, in exchange for salvation. In this respect, the church is full of Marian symbolism: the great dome represents her crown, the cavernous interior her womb, the eight sides the eight points on her symbolic star. The interior is decorated with artworks by the greatest masters of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries such as Titian,Tintoretto and Lucas Giordano.
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.
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 the facade of the Chiesa Salute, Venice, 18th century, in an album commissioned by the Earl of Bute |
| Physical description | Drawing of the facade of the Chiesa Salute, in pen and ink and watercolour, on paper. It depicts the Corinthian columns, pedimented roof and sculptural figures. The drawing is in a portrait format and is attached to one page of the album. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Pianta e alzato di una delle due parti laterali alla facciata della Chiesa della Salute (Handwriting)
|
| 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 Santa Maria della Salute is a vast, octagonal building, built in 1631 in thanks to the Virgin, under the supervision of the architect Baldassare Longhena (1596-1682), one of the principal masters of Italian High Baroque classicism. The drawing depicts one of the two-storey lateral wings of the church and the stairs. The first level shows Corinthian columns that separate three niches with full-length statues: a larger one in the middle with a large rosette underneath and a smaller one on each side. The second level shows a bow-window decorated by three winged head of putti and surmounted but a pediment with a carved star enclose in a tondo. A croos-section of the stairs shows their design and a cross-section of the façade shows its exterior decoration relief. It was on the occasion of the terrible plague epidemic of 1630 that the Venetians turned to the Virgin, promising to build a church in her honour, in exchange for salvation. In this respect, the church is full of Marian symbolism: the great dome represents her crown, the cavernous interior her womb, the eight sides the eight points on her symbolic star. The interior is decorated with artworks by the greatest masters of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries such as Titian,Tintoretto and Lucas Giordano. 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.8:45-2001 |
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| Record created | June 21, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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