''The Doge's Palace Seen from San Giorgio Maggiore'' is a 1908 painting by
Claude Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...
that resides in the collection of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
. The painting, catalogued W1755, is one of six versions of this scene painted by Monet in 1908. Other versions are held by the
Kunsthaus Zürich
The Kunsthaus Zürich is in terms of area the biggest art museum of Switzerland and houses one of the most important art collections in Switzerland, assembled over the years by the local art association called '. The collection spans from the Midd ...
, and the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum at 1071 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 89th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is the permanent home of a continuously exp ...
.
Early history and creation
Monet created this work during his visit to
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
in late 1908. He returned to his home in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
with many paintings incomplete, and he took a few years to prepare 29 works for exhibition. In 1912 he held a successful show ''Claude Monet Venise'' at the gallery
Bernheim-Jeune
Bernheim-Jeune gallery is one of the oldest art galleries in Paris.
Opened on Rue Laffitte in 1863 by Alexandre Bernheim (1839-1915), friend of Delacroix, Corot and Courbet, it changed location a few times before settling on Avenue Matignon. Th ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
.
Six of these paintings were created, to capture the varied lighting throughout the day. Monet often made multiple copies of the same work of art, a process known as series painting. His series paintings originated in his early career when he and other
impressionists
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
became interested in ''
en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
'' and were inspired by the effects of changing light.
''The Doge's Palace'' was done later in his career after he had already established his artistic style, however this work is considered less successful because of the scant time he spent in Venice and because he had to finish the series by memory later in Paris.
Description and interpretation
''The Doge's Palace'' is composed of oil on canvas and its dimensions are 25 3/4 x 36 1/2 inches.
This work depicts the
Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace ( it, Palazzo Ducale; vec, Pałaso Dogal) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme aut ...
, an iconic landmark of Venice and the historic seat of government of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
, along with buildings of the
Riva degli Schiavoni
The Riva degli Schiavoni is a waterfront area in Venice, Italy. There is a lively—albeit often overcrowded—promenade along the waterfront, which sits on St. Mark's Basin.
It was originally built in the ninth century from dredged silt a ...
waterfront. The scene is viewed from the island of
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore ( vec, San Zorzi Mazor) is one of the islands of Venice, northern Italy, lying east of the Giudecca and south of the main island group. The island, or more specifically its Palladian church, is an important landmark. It h ...
.
Later history and influence
Although Monet spent little time in Venice, works that he started in Venice, such as ''The Doge's Palace'', are some of his most highly regarded. These paintings capture his signature style and influence from the effervescent Venetian sunset. After this painting was exhibited in Paris in 1912 it went on to travel the world, and has found its permanent home at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
in New York, N.Y.
File:Claude Monet Le Palais Ducal vu de Saint-Georges Majeur (W 1751).jpg, Version in the Kunsthaus Zürich, W1751
File:New York by Piotrus 013.JPG, Version in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum