Canaletto, Venice: The Basin of San Marco on Ascension Day, about 1740, National Gallery, London. Yesterday was Ascension Day, and in Venice that always used to be one of the great days of the year. The celebration, known in the Venetian dialect as the Festa della Sensa, was associated with two historical events. On 9 May in the yearContinue reading “Day 65 – Venice”
Category Archives: Landscape
Day 47 – Salisbury Cathedral
Day 47 – Salisbury Cathedral John Constable, Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, 1830-31, Tate Britain, London. [This is my original version of this post – you may prefer to read the latest, updated – and corrected – version, The End of the Rainbow, from December 2025!] Sometimes a painting is asking to be talked about. IContinue reading “Day 47 – Salisbury Cathedral”
Day 46 – Psyche III
Claude, Landscape with Psyche outside the Palace of Cupid (‘The Enchanted Castle’), 1664, National Gallery, London. So… Psyche has done the one thing she was supposed not to do, and has tried to find out who her mystery lover really is (if you missed the first parts of the story, head back to Picture Of TheContinue reading “Day 46 – Psyche III”
Day 39 – La Tempesta
Giorgione, La Tempesta, c. 1504, Accademia, Venice. I’ve been asked to talk about Giorgione’s evocative and mysterious painting La Tempesta, which I’m very happy to do, even if it is something I have often avoided, for reasons which should become obvious. The best translation of the title would be ‘The Storm’, but, if translated at all, itContinue reading “Day 39 – La Tempesta”
