ÉBLOUISSANTE Venice: Europe and the Arts in the 18th Century Grand Palais 26 september 2018 – 21 January 2019 Venice fascinated Europe in the 18th century. Its site, on islands transformed into a monumental city, its political regime, its artistic and musical traditions and its carnival made it attractive and unique. At the time, the Republic of Venice, with its rich history, was among the key powers in Europe. But throughout the century, the city also suffered a series of crises, both economic and social, which led to its decline and precipitated its fall in 1797 at the hands of Bonaparte’s armies. Despite this difficult context, the city’s arts scene still displayed an exuberant vitality. Painters, sculptors, decorators and designers were among the most illustrious on the Italian stage. Composers, playwrights, instrumentalists and singers were famous throughout Europe. It is this last golden age that the exhibition aims to recount, with an emphasis on the influence of Venetian artists in England, France, Germany and Spain. It also evokes the power of the myth reflected in their works inspired by the joyful and decadent Serenissima. In addition to fine art, the exhibition also seeks to recreate the atmosphere of these last flames of a civilisation. To this end, the scenography has been entrusted to Macha Makeïeff, a set designer renowned for her lively inventiveness. She has enriched it with the performing arts of theatre, music and dance, brought together for the first time in an exhibition at the Grand Palais, every Wednesday between 8 pm and 9.30 pm, from 3 October to 16 January. #ExpoVenise DOWNLOAD THE NEW GRAND PALAIS APPLICATION https://tinyurl.com/appgrandpalais 1. LA SERENISSIMA REPUBLICA DI VENEZIA 3. THE DECORATIVE ARTS AND THE ART OF An independent city state and republic since the LIVING IN VENICE Middle Ages, Venice had an original political system The decorative arts in Venice benefited from the and was one of the largest and most populous know-how and creativity of its craftsmen who, from cities in Europe. Public life was organised around the 16th century, developed the city’s luxury industry, the Doge. The embodiment of the republic, he was renowned throughout Europe and beyond. elected for life but had no real authority. The city’s New palaces were built in the 18th century. With its centuries-old institutions concentrated power in rich, opulent interior decorations, the palace built by the hands of an aristocratic oligarchy, although the the Rezzonico family on the Grand Canal - now the complex electoral system prevented a slide towards Museo del Settecento Veneziano - is probably the monarchy. The power of the State was expressed most representative of the period, with the Palazzo through lavish official ceremonies on land and at Grassi. The greatest artists of the time worked sea, when high dignitaries paraded in stately dress. together on its stuccowork and frescoes. The rooms Visits by European sovereigns and the entry of decorated with pastel-coloured cupids, garlands ambassadors into the city were opportunities to and leaves are lit with Brianti crystal lights paired celebrate the prestige of La Serenissima. with exuberantly curved and ornamented Rococo Throughout the 18th century, the city of the Doges furniture. was the most compelling stage on the Grand Tour through Italy. Palaces and churches reflected in the waters of the lagoon offered the ideal subject for 4. THE ARTS IN VENICE painters of a new kind of urban landscape - the The first half of the 18th century was a period of veduta. Often using a camera obscura, or pinhole extraordinary artistic vitality in Venice. A new and camera, they reproduced reality with increasing seductive style of painting designed to charm the accuracy. This was the age of the great “vedutisti”: eye combined lightness with speed of execution and Gianantonio Canaletto, Francesco Guardi and their primacy of colour. A generation of pioneers such followers. By reproducing the luxury and splendour as Sebastiano Ricci and Gianantonio Pellegrini was of official events, and the city’s unique beauty, they succeeded by artists including Giambattista Piazzetta conveyed a strong message of political power in the and Giambattista Tiepolo, who breathed new life into most vivid way possible. the genre. Each produced, in his own unique style, surprising works in which light plays a vital role. Sculpture also featured heavily on church MUSIC IN VENICE 2. facades, imposing funerary monuments and Venice was a city of music in the 18th century. palace ornamentation, complementing the great Stringed-instrument makers were renowned for decorations produced by painters prized by the their excellence and sophistication, especially in aristocracy: Gaspare Diziani, Giambattista Crosato the production of lutes, archlutes, theorbos and and Giambattista Tiepolo. In the church of the guitars. Six opera theatres competed to give ever Gesuati, Morlaiter’s marble sculptures dialogue more magnificent performances, combining magical with Tiepolo’s frescoes and altar paintings by sets with vocal virtuosity. Composers were eager to Piazzetta and Sebastiano Ricci. The powerful teach in ospedali, charitable institutions where young Rezzonico, Widmann, Pisani and Contarini families orphans were trained to sing or play instruments. commissioned lavish allegories for their reception Originating in Venice, these ospedali organised room ceilings, and the Labia family secured its place concerts renowned throughout Europe. It was in one in history by entrusting Giambattista Tiepolo with the of these ospedali, the Pio Ospedale della Pietà, that History of Cleopatra cycle. Vivaldi began his career, as a music master. 5. THE DIASPORA OF VENETIAN ARTISTS IN EUROPE The flow of wealthy foreign visitors, enlightened amateurs and collectors into the city helped spread the reputation of Venetian artists throughout Europe. Beyond the lagoon, this opened up new opportunities for painters hit by the city’s growing soon collapsed. The commission aroused the economic woes and dwindling commissions. A jealousy of overlooked painters, including Lemoyne. valuable export, Venetian art opened up new The work was nevertheless admired by François avenues that varied with each country, from the Boucher and other young artists. vedute of Antonio Canaletto in England to the While staying with Crozat, Sebastiano Ricci met pastel portraits of Rosalba Carriera in France and Charles de La Fosse and Antoine Watteau, some of the great Rococo decorations of Giambattista whose drawings he copied. Rosalba Carriera and Tiepolo in Germanic countries. Some works, like Watteau painted each other’s portraits. The Venetian the decoration commissioned by the King of Spain painter’s work was prized in elite social circles and he from Giambattista Tiepolo, concealed a high-stakes had a lasting influence on the development of pastel diplomatic game. portraits in France. A Venetian spirit infused French art for several years. VENETIANS IN ENGLAND When Charles Montagu, English ambassador to VENETIANS IN GERMANIC COUNTRIES Venice, returned to London in 1708, he brought In 1702, Sebastiano Ricci began painting the with him Gianantonio Pellegrini and Marco Ricci. ceiling fresco for a room in the imperial palace of Soon joined by Sebastiano Ricci, the two painters Schönbrunn. Another great traveller Jacopo Amigoni benefited from the patronage and influence of the worked in Nymphenbourg, at Schleissheim Palace Whigs - the liberal party that favoured Italian artistic and Ottobeuren Abbey. influences. Gianantonio Pellegrini was commissioned to Pellegrini produced decorations, now lost, for decorate several rooms in Bensberg Palace in prestigious residences such as Burlington House in 1713, for the Palatine Elector Johann Wilhelm von London, Castle Howard in Yorkshire and Kimbolton der Pfalz. In subsequent years, he received many House in Huntingdonshire. He also applied to commissions in Germany, including two altarpieces decorate the dome of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in for the Church of St. Clement in Hanover, built on London, but had to abandon the idea. the instructions of priest musician Agostino Steffani Marco Ricci produced a large number of works di Castelfranco Veneto, chapel master at the court for the theatre and opera, designing sets for the of Hanover. Little remains of his decoration for two Haymarket Theatre founded by Charles Montagu and Zwinger pavilions in Dresden in 1725, or his work his friends. Rehearsals of the opera Pirro e Demetrio at Mannheim Palace. However, in Vienna, the dome by Alessandro Scarlatti inspired his series of highly of the Salesianerkirche and an altar painting in the innovative genre scenes. Karlskirche are still in place. Sebastiano Ricci’s compositions suited the tastes Works by Venetian sculptors also found favour, and of a wealthy, outward-looking English elite. The Antonio Corradini, Lorenzo Mattielli and Giovanni ceiling painted for Burlington House is one of his few Giuliani were all engaged by the court in Vienna. decorations still in place. The influence of the Venetians on artists in these Canaletto lived in England between 1746 and 1755. regions can also be seen in the sculpted decorations He painted the banks of the River Thames and the of churches in southern Germany, particularly in the castles, some medieval, of his patrons. style of Ignaz Günther. Italian opera enjoyed considerable success in TIEPOLO AND HIS SONS AT THE COURT OF SPAIN London before a nationalist backlash led to its In 1762 Giambattista Tiepolo was commissioned decline. Venetian singers Faustina Bordoni and to decorate the throne room of the Royal Palace in Francesca Cuzzoni performed the leads in Handel’s Madrid. Despite his age, he was forced to undertake operas, and castrati including Farinelli triumphed on the journey in order to avoid a diplomatic incident the London stage. between the Republic of Venice and King Charles III VENICE AND PARIS of Spain. Helped by his two sons, in just two years In 1720, the collector and patron Pierre Crozat he painted a fresco of The Glory of Spain in the invited Rosalba Carriera to spend several months in vast throne room, and then two other decorations his Paris mansion.