Riva degli Schiavoni II 1880

Editor: This is Frank Duveneck’s "Riva degli Schiavoni II," an etching from 1880. I’m struck by how bustling it feels, like a snapshot of everyday life in Venice. All these figures milling about near the water—what do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s compelling, isn't it? I see Duveneck engaging with Venice not just as a picturesque subject, but as a site of labor, trade, and human interaction. Look closely—what stories might these figures be carrying with them? Consider also the history of the Riva degli Schiavoni. Editor: I didn't even think about that—"Riva degli Schiavoni"… the "Slavs’ Wharf." Does the title point to Venice's historical role in trade, including the slave trade? Curator: Precisely. The title forces us to confront the darker aspects of Venetian history, a history often romanticized. Duveneck, through his art, inadvertently asks us to acknowledge these often-silenced histories. How might this understanding shift your perspective on the piece? Editor: It definitely complicates the initial impression. It makes me think about who is represented and who is absent. The figures now seem less like anonymous citizens and more like participants in a complex economic and social system, where some benefited at the expense of others. Curator: Exactly! It opens the door to interrogating power dynamics within the scene. And what about the choice of etching? How might that medium speak to themes of reproduction, dissemination, and accessibility, or perhaps ephemerality? Editor: Wow, I hadn’t considered that. Seeing it as a representation of labor and power, rather than just a pretty cityscape, gives it so much more depth. Curator: Yes, and hopefully inspires a deeper investigation into whose stories are told—and whose are omitted—in visual representations of history. Editor: Definitely. I’m walking away with a completely different understanding than I came in with. Thanks so much.