Anton Schranz (Ochsenhausen 1769-1839 Malta)

Anton Schranz remains a little documented artist before his settlement in Minorca where he married Elisabeth Haward-Tuduri in 1787. Here Schranz flourished as a view painter, particularly of Port Mahon, which remained a Mediterranean stronghold for the Royal Navy for most of the 18th century.

The present view shows the large harbour of Corfu from the north, seemingly from Vidos Island situated just above the bay, and shows the city’s old Venetian fortress in the middle distance. Schranz records the bustling shipping of the harbour, one of the most important in Europe, while also depicting a group of men and women, wearing traditional clothing, resting in the foreground amongst their livestock.