Venezia Molo di San Marco 

Ippolito Caffi painted this view of the Molo in Venice with oil on canvas sometime in the mid-19th century. It represents the city's main gateway to the sea, the site of both arrival and departure. Caffi often worked ‘en plein air’, and this canvas exemplifies his interest in capturing momentary atmospheric effects. Notice how the figures seem dwarfed by the buildings and the columns of the square. It is a social scene but it doesn't depict community. Venice, at this time, was part of the Austrian empire. There was a growth of the middle class and the city became a popular destination for tourists. In this respect, we can see how Caffi's painting both captured the essence of Venetian life but also, perhaps, hinted at a feeling of social alienation and loss of communal values. Art history helps us understand these subtleties. By studying the context, we can appreciate how artists like Caffi responded to a rapidly changing world, and how their art reflected the hopes and anxieties of their time.