Attributed to Pietro Antonio Domenichi

Attributed to PIETRO ANTONIO DOMENICHI (Italy, 1699-1743), "Maestro delle Montagne Azzure".
"River landscape with rustic building".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
Attached study by Dr. Federica Spadotto.
Period frame.
Measurements: 56 x 73 cm; 71 x 87,5 cm (frame).

This composition is fully integrated in the repertoire of the so-called Master of the Azzurre Mountain, identified with Pietro Antonio Domenichi, a leading figure of Venetian landscape painting of the eighteenth century. The painting develops an architectural capriccio in which a monumental ruin in the foreground -of classical evocation and scenographic character- acts as a visual axis, while the landscape opens towards a horizon of bluish and vaporous mountains, a distinctive feature of his production.

The structure responds to the Arcadian model: a powerful vertical element in shadow articulates the left side, creating contrast with the luminosity of the valley and the central lake. The small figures animate the scene with discretion, providing scale and daily life without detracting from the dialogue between architecture and nature. The chromatic transition, from the warm, earthy tones of the foreground to the cold, atmospheric blues of the background, builds a serene and enveloping depth, characteristic of this master. The whole conveys a sense of poetic and contemplative balance, typical of Venetian enlightened taste.