Lot 402. Francesco Zanin (ca. 1824 - 1884 Venice, Active in Venice 1851 - 1888), Festive Regatta at the Rialto bridge. Oil on panel. 73.5 x 112 cm. Signed and dated “Zanin Fran co 1859” lower right. Sold for: € 194,000 (Estimate € 120.000 - 140.000). © HAMPEL Fine Art Auctions Munich

Provenance: According to Cristina Geddo, who published the painting in 2009, a label formerly on the back of the panel indicated its provenance from a count’s gallery in Milan, put up for sale in 1814 - 1820. The present painting was offered for sale at Christie’s New York on 30 January 2013 under lot 116.

Literature: See Fabrizio Magani, Francesco Zanin. Un "Canaletto" nell' Ottocento, Milan 2007. 

Note: Little is known about the painter who was called the new Canaletto in the 19th century. The painter is one of the most important representatives of the historicizing vedute in the style of the 18th century, with stylistic recourse to Canaletto's painting style. From 1851 he was a student of the Academy in the field of landscape painting, directed by Francesco Baguara. His career, which lasted until the late 1880s, probably began with his work "Il Ponte della Pazienza con la Chiesa del Carmine" (private collection), dated 1856. In 1869 he was represented at the annual exhibition of the Academy. The present painting captivates not only because of the exciting lighting effect, whereby the palaces and most of the bridge appear brightly lit, while the left palace front is in shadow, but also through the rushing festivities of the countless figures and decorated gondolas. The main focus is on the magnificent ships, which appear here in the center in front of the bridge in rich baroque decoration with lavish gilded rocaille arches. The Doge of Venice can be seen under a magnificent crowned canopy. The palace windows are all decorated with red cloths in homage to the festival.

In its painterly characteristics, the painting is comparable to other works such as "The Doge's Visit to the Turkish Embassy" or "The Bucentauro at the Customs Port" and the picture of a similar subject "The Feast of Santa Maria of Mosa".
In 2007 an exhibition was dedicated to the painter.

This object has been individually compared to the information in the Art Loss Register data bank and is not registered there as stolen or missing.