Antonio Visentini (1688 1782) in Zusammenarbeit mit Francesco Zuccarelli (1702 1788)
THE WILTONBRIDGE
Oil on canvas.
75 x 130 cm.
On the lower left artist's names.

Enclosed with the painting are:
Letter from Christie's auction house dated 16.04. 1995 with confirmation and sending of the microfilms of the previous auction.
Further declaration of the Civici Musei Veneziani d'Arte e di Storia of 03.06.1986, Venice, concerning the exhibition as well as further letters concerning the mentioned exhibitions with respective insurance papers.

Visentini, architect, painter and professor at the Venetian Academy, created a series of architectural and building views in the years 1745-1776, together with Zuccharelli, an architectural and landscape painter, for the English Consul Joseph Smith, who was working in Italy at the time. The picture cycle was intended to capture famous buildings of the time, not least in order to document Palladianism, which took root in both Italy and England. The so-called Wilton Bridge is an imposing park architecture of the 18th century park of Wilton House in the county of Wiltshire in Great Britain, seat of the Earls of Pembroke. It is a scaled-down version of an unfinished design by Andrea Palladio for the Rialto Bridge in Venice, built in 1737 over the River Nadder by William Kent (1685-1748).
The painting shows the building with a view to the long side with strong three-arched bridge substructures as well as a temple-like structure with two side risalites, illuminated with views that reveal the column positions that support the continuous cornice with gable roof. Laterally ascending staircases with balusters, which continue in the building. The two-arched building with Tuscan columns, shown here on the left, pulling backwards in perspective, was not realized.
Provenance:
As far as the painter Zuccarelli is concerned, he was in Venice from 1743, then in Bergamo, before he was able to visit England several times through English patrons, where he lived from 1752 to about 1773 and became a member of the Academy of Arts. This stay in England was on the recommendation of the British Consul in Venice, Joseph Smith. It was Smith who, as collector and art lover, left the major part of his collection to King George III of England, whereby the present painting can be assumed to have been a gift of the king to Richard Dalton, the librarian and superintendent of the Royal Gallery, by whom it was auctioned at Christie's after his death from April 9-11, 1791 (under lot 98). There is now no doubt that the staircases are related to the Rialto Bridge in the style of Palladio, if one compares his design drawings in his work "E quattro libri".

Exhibitions:
Canaletto e Visentini, Venezia e Londra, Gorizia 1986.
Vedute italiane del Settecento in collezione private italiane, Milan 1987.
La collezione des Console Smith. Da Raffaello a Canaletto, Fondazione Cini, Venice 1990.
The glory of Venice, Royal Academy of Arts, London 1993.
Officina veneziana. Maestri e Botteghe nella Venezia del Settecento, Crema 2002.

literature:
Frances Vivian, Il Console Smith, mercante e collezionista, Vicenza 1971, pp. 196-197. (1220241) (11)


Antonio Visentini (1688 - 1782) in collaboration with Francesco Zuccarelli (1702 - 1788)
THE WILTON BRIDGE
Oil on canvas.
75 x 130 cm.
Artist inscription lower left.

Accompanied by a letter of the auction house Christie's dated 16 April 1995 with confirmation of the consignment of the microfilms of an earlier auction sale. Furthermore a declaration of the Civici Musei Veneziani d'Arte e di Storia dated 3 June 1986, Venice with regards to an exhibition and another letter regarding the below mentioned exhibitions with respective insurance papers.

Provenance:
Zuccarelli stayed in Venice in 1743, then in Bergamo, before travelling to England several times courtesy of English patrons, and was then resident and a member of the Academy of Arts between 1752 and 1773.
His stay in England was arranged at the recommendation of the British consul in Venice, Josef Smith. As a collector and art enthusiast, it was he who left the majority of his collection to King George III of England, whereby the painting on offer for sale in this lot was probably a gift of the king to Richard Dalton, the librarian and superindendent of the Royal Gallery. After his death, it was sold at auction at Christie's on 9 - 11 April 1791 (lot 98). Meanwhile it is beyond question that the staircase of the Rialto bridge are associated with the style of Palladio when comparing his design drawings with E quattro libri.

Exhibitions:
Canaletto e Visentini, Venezia e Londra, Gorizia 1986.
vedute italiane del Settecento in collezione private italiane, Milan 1987.
la collezione des Console Smith. Da Raffaello a Canaletto, Fondazione Cini, Venice 1990.
The glory of Venice, Royal Academy of Arts, London 1993.
Officina veneziana. Maestri e Botteghe nella Venezia del Settecento, Crema 2002.

Literature:
F. Vivian, Il Console Smith, mercante e collezionista, Vicenza 1971, p. 196-197.