Catalogue entry
Finberg later annotated his 1909 unspecific
Inventory entry, crossing out ‘Interior of building’ in favour of ‘St. Marks atrium’,
1 publishing his revision as ‘Interior of S. Mark’s’.
2 The Turner scholar C.F. Bell marked another copy of the
Inventory: ‘Atrium of St Mark’s’.
3Rather than the interior the Basilica of San Marco (St Mark’s) itself, as seen in a contemporary colour study on brown paper (Tate
D32241; Turner Bequest CCCXVIII 22), this horizontal drawing shows the view east through the adjacent arcade leading from the Porta della Carta doorway of the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace; see folio 87 verso;
D32434), running between the palace on the right and the church on the left.
Towards the left, the Arco Foscari frames schematic vertical indications of the Scala dei Giganti (Giants’ Staircase), with the palace’s courtyard seen at an angle through the arches on the right. There is a detailed view of the staircase itself on folio 89 verso (
D32438), and a smaller study looking the other way on folio 88 recto (
D32435).
Compare a contemporary gouache and watercolour study on grey paper, showing the same view (Tate
D32181; Turner Bequest CCCXVII 2).
Matthew Imms
September 2018
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