Edward William Cooke, R.A. (1811-1880)

In the foreground of this picture the faint inscription 'Il Lagunetto' can be seen on the rowing boat. Cooke painted the majority of his views of Venice from the Lagoon and during his early career he wanted to be recognised in the same vein as his illustrious predecessor Giovanni Antonio Canal, 'Il Canaletto'. After the mid-1860s, however, when critics and patrons failed to pick up on this analogy, he refrained from using the inscription in his paintings.

From the left, the view extends from San Servolo, with its twin slender towers, through to San Pietro in Castello, the leaning campanile.

We are grateful to John Munday for his help in the preparation of this catalogue entry.