Canal View, Venice, Italy by 19th Century Russian French Jean D'alheim Luminous Antique Oil Painting

One of the most beautiful depictions of sky, water and light, in this luminous 19th century canal view, presumably of Venice (?).

I love this painting all the more as it is a "working" canal scene, with fishermen's boats and unpresuming houses.

It is a work by Jean d'Alheim (1832 or 1840, depending on the reference work you consult - 1894). An anecdote has it that the artist, who travelled widely in the Mediterranean,

always voyaged with simply a pack on his back, giving him freedom of movement. Thus, he was more able to capture on canvas the true beauty of the countryside…its skies, lakes and rivers, with his artistic sensitivity.

As per his biography by Renoir Fine Arts, D'Alheim’s grandfather was of French nobility and fled to Russia in 1792, at the time of the French revolution. He also was descended from important and influential Russian families, most notably the Romanoffs. The artist settled in Paris shortly after his marriage to Alexandra Pushkina, a portrait and still life painter who became a popular artist in her own right.

Jean d’Alheim was a painter of great merit, capturing the landscapes of France, Italy and Russia with brilliance and ease. He was a member of and exhibited with great success, at the prestigious Salon of the Societé Nationale des Beaux Arts in 1866, 1875 and 1878. The most remarkable of his personal exhibits was in Paris, in 1884, with 82 exceptional paintings of Naples, Venice and Capri.

Works by the artist are in the collections of the museums of Béziers, Nice, Roanne, Troyes and Grenoble.

Our painting is an oil on board or paper that was mounted on canvas in the 19th century, most likely by the artist himself. A tiny weak spot in the canvas has been restored. The painting is signed at the lower right. It is presented in its original frame, which has a fair amount of wear, tear and repair - but which is nonetheless attractive. With the canvas measuring 35 x 34 cm, the overall framed size is 48 x 50cm.

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