View of Venice c. 1865 - 1869

Carolus-Duran created this oil on canvas painting, titled 'View of Venice', with expressive brushstrokes and a muted palette, evoking a serene Venetian scene. The composition is structured by the canal, which acts as a central axis, flanked by the city’s architecture. Look closely at how Duran uses color to define form; the buildings are rendered with thick daubs of paint. The sky and water share a similar range of blues and greys, creating a sense of unity and atmospheric perspective. Duran's technique, with its emphasis on capturing the immediate visual impression, aligns with the Impressionist movement's interest in the subjective experience of light and color. Yet, Duran’s approach to form—his use of bold, constructive brushstrokes—also signals a concern with the material qualities of paint itself, a characteristic that anticipates later modernist explorations. Notice how the painting embodies a tension between representation and abstraction. While it depicts a recognizable scene, the emphasis on the materiality of the paint and the subjective rendering of light pushes it toward a more abstract mode of expression, inviting us to consider the painting as an object in its own right.