View Of Venice With The Doge’s Palace 

Félix Ziem painted this view of Venice with the Doge’s Palace in oil paint. Ziem’s technique involved layering paint, wet-on-wet, to create texture and capture the reflective quality of light on water. You can see this in the quick strokes depicting the waves and the diffused light of the sky. Oil paint, made from pigment mixed with oil, allowed Ziem to achieve a depth of color and luminosity, capturing Venice's unique atmosphere. The application is loose and expressive. The brushstrokes are visible, giving the painting a sense of immediacy. The way he built up the paint suggests a rapid execution, typical of “en plein air” painting, or painting outdoors, capturing a fleeting moment. This was crucial to modernity and the rise of tourism, a social activity, and an economic driver that transformed Venice into a destination for the leisured classes. Consider the value we place on both the skill involved in manipulating these materials, as well as the social contexts in which they are made.