Le Marchand allant à Rialto (The Merchant at the Rialto) 1775

Giovanni David made this print, "The Merchant at the Rialto," in the late 18th century. It captures a lone merchant cloaked and moving towards Venice’s commercial heart, the Rialto. Consider the weight of this figure. The merchant’s anonymity, shadowed by the cloak, evokes the era’s complex relationship with commerce and identity. The emphasis on concealment may reflect the social and political tensions of the time, when one's status was closely tied to their economic activities. The inscription on the print "Money, money, they say, without it everything is sterile" points to the central, and potentially corrupting, role of commerce. The artist's choice to depict the merchant from behind creates a sense of mystery and invites viewers to contemplate the personal stories and motivations that drive economic exchange. Is it loneliness, a consequence of prioritizing profit? The print invites us to reflect on how societal values shape individual lives and to consider the emotional dimensions of economic pursuits.