Ian Hargreaves – Venice

Wednesday September 22, 2021

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Private View: Sunday 3rd October 2021 11.00am – 4.00pm

The Exhibition continues until: Saturday 23rd October 2021

To view the exhibition click here

For me, Venice is a magical place. It is certainly unique. It has fascinated artists for hundreds of years, from the likes of Canaletto, Turner, Singer Sargent, through to contemporary painters such as Ken Howard, to name but a few. It is of course, a tourist magnet, but there are plenty of quiet retreats away from the crowds.

Some of the work in this exhibition depicts the iconic scenes, such as the world-famous Piazza San Marco, and the view across the Grand Canal towards the magnificent Santa Maria Della Salute. But what captures my imagination just as much are the scenes of everyday life. Walking around the city, as I do from first light to setting sun, I come across quiet scenes, where locals are loading their boats with various produce, to be distributed around the town, or maybe to the mainland. Around the corner I might be confronted by washing hanging out to dry in a sun-soaked alleyway.

Light and shade is very important. It brings a scene alive, with cast shadows on a crumbling facade, to a gondolier emerging from a dark backwater. many times I will return to a spot later in the day, when the cast shadows are perfect for my needs, as in ”Venice FC”.

Some people say Venice has been painted to death. But for me, it always throws up something new. Venice never disappoints!