Felix Ziem

FÉLIX ZIEM (Beaune, 1821 - Paris, 1911).
"Venetian view".
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 39 x 69 cm; 51 x 81 cm (frame).

The painting represents a Venetian view bathed by a warm and atmospheric light, one of Felix Ziem's favorite themes. The scene opens onto a wide expanse of water, enlivened by the vibrant reflection of the sky and architectures, where a ceremonial gondola gently advances. The figures, treated with loose brushstrokes and barely sketched, bring life to the composition without detracting from the landscape.

On the right side rises a Venetian monumental complex, with recognizable domes and bell towers, described by masses of color rather than by precise architectural detail. These constructions emerge enveloped in a golden, almost diffuse atmosphere that dilutes the contours and reinforces the sensation of distance and evocation.

In the sky, wide gradations of blues, greens and pinks create a shifting effect that is reflected in the water. The brushstroke is rapid and vibrant, leaving the painter's gesture visible and giving the surface an almost musical quality.

More than a topographical description, Ziem offers a poetic and evocative vision, where the city becomes a stage for light, reflections and pictorial emotion.

Ziem's work ranged from scenes of Venice and Constantinople to landscapes of Provence and North Africa, reflecting his passion for light and color. He was recognized with the Legion of Honor in 1857 and became an official painter of the French Navy in 1901. He died in Paris in 1911 and is buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery. His legacy lives on in the Ziem Museum in Martigues, inaugurated in 1910, which houses an important collection of his works, including landscapes of Venice, Constantinople and the Provence region.