Venice, Ca’d’Oro 

Antonietta Brandeis painted this small oil on panel of the Ca’ d’Oro in Venice during the late 19th or early 20th century, a time when Venice was becoming a major tourist destination. Brandeis, like many artists of her time, found a ready market in the wealthy visitors who flocked to the city and who purchased images like this as souvenirs. The Ca’ d’Oro, or “golden house,” is rendered with attention to its Gothic architectural details, its ornate facade reflected in the waters of the Grand Canal. Venice itself, a city built on water, was shaped by centuries of trade and the wealth of its leading families. The Ca’ d’Oro, built in the 15th century, stands as a reminder of that history. Brandeis’ painting freezes a particular view of the building, offering it up as a picturesque scene for consumption. The social and institutional contexts in which art is made are crucial to its interpretation. By studying the art market of the time, the biographies of artists, and the histories of the places they depict, we can gain a richer understanding of the meanings and values that these artworks held, and continue to hold today.