Fishing Boats in the Bacino, Palazzo Ducale and the Campanile Beyond 

Félix Ziem painted Fishing Boats in the Bacino, Palazzo Ducale and the Campanile Beyond in the 19th century. This scene presents Venice as a vibrant port city. But the romanticism of the brushstrokes and the hazy atmosphere also suggest the artist’s awareness of the city’s decline as a major European power. The composition is arranged to emphasize the everyday life of the Venetian Lagoon. Note how the Palazzo Ducale and the Campanile are partially obscured. Ziem prioritizes the fishing boats and the working people over the symbols of Venetian authority, which might represent his social conscience. To fully understand Ziem’s vision, we can research the impact of tourism on Venice during the 19th century, looking at archival photographs and guidebooks from the period. It is in this historical and institutional context that the meaning of his art can be found.