A Cloudy Day in Venice 1881

Samuel Colman made this etching, "A Cloudy Day in Venice," at an unknown date, representing a traditional scene of Venetian lagoon life. Notice the gondolas and fishing boats, the architecture in the background, and the sky heavy with cloud. Venice, by the late 19th century, was a site of cultural tourism that brought modern consumer capitalism into contact with a long history of maritime trade. In rendering this scene, Colman joins a tradition of landscape art that served the interests of commercial exchange. Picturesque depictions of Venice were bought and sold in a market that included both images of the city and the city itself. Colman's print is both a representation of Venice and a commodity circulated by the art market. To understand the relationship between art, tourism, and economics in Colman’s time, scholars consult travel guides, exhibition reviews, and collectors’ records. The meaning of art is contingent on such social and institutional contexts.