The Doges' Palace 1881

Here is Renoir's depiction of The Doge's Palace in Venice, painted sometime in the late 19th century. It shows the famous palace as a backdrop to a busy scene of boats moving across the water. Renoir was one of many impressionist painters drawn to Venice at this time. We might consider the politics of imagery, here. Venice had, for centuries, been a major centre for artistic production, but by the late nineteenth century, it was also a major tourist destination, and ripe for being painted. The Impressionists were often criticised for their commercialism, for producing what some saw as mere tourist trinkets. Was Renoir simply painting a pretty picture, or was he engaging with the complex social and cultural history of Venice? Art historians can use a range of sources such as letters, exhibition reviews, and sales records to assess the complex relationship between art, commerce, and cultural value.