Luigi Zugolo, Peaceful Venetian Canal Scenes in a Pair of Paintings

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This pair of timeless scenes of Venice are both by Venetian painter, Luigi Zugolo, who, according to Italy’s Ministry of … Read more This pair of timeless scenes of Venice are both by Venetian painter, Luigi Zugolo, who, according to Italy’s Ministry of Culture, was working in the early 20th century. Would we call this tourist art, souvenirs of a grand European tour? One can dream, even if these were bought in dollars during a wistful moment in downtown Chicago, as revealed by labels on the back.
Fortunately, other labels note both locations. On the left, the subject is the Rio (now Riello) de Santa Sofia with its picture-postcard pedestrian bridge, which still stands. This one was painted from that quiet canal’s intersection with the Rio Ca’ Dolce.
And on the right is a view of the Rio delle Erbe and Van-Axel Palace, now called the Soranso Van Axel Palace. You can visit this palazzo the first Thursday of each month. The staircase just before it, in the lower left corner, still leads up from the canal to an enclosed neighborhood park.
The frames are original, and while evocative of classic Venetian style, with their tiny scallop shells carved in the corners that whisper Rococo, perhaps they would be more at home in your palazzo set off by something simple in light-toned wood.
Bellinis, anyone? See less