Attributed to Piero Galter - Venetian Lagoon with Fishing Boat

Social themes in art began to gain prominence towards the mid-19th century, coinciding with the spread of social questions throughout European societies. The work of painters such as Millet and Daumier, for example, favored subjects related to life in the fields, factory work, or strikes. In Italy, among the first painters to engage deeply with social themes were Pellizza da Volpedo and, in the contemporary era, Renato Guttuso. Specifically, regarding the work of Pietro Galter, one of the most recurring themes in his paintings is linked to the daily life of fishermen in the Venetian lagoon. However, we cannot truly speak of a true social commitment on Galter's part. Indeed, although the artist provides a highly incisive depiction of the daily lives of these people, his works remain more in the realm of genre scenes, a lyrical celebration of a simplicity of life with a distinctly popular character.

As previously mentioned, the work fits stylistically within a realist framework. This is evident from the composition itself. Indeed, the episode captured from everyday life is captured on the canvas fleetingly, almost instantaneously, as if the artist had taken a snapshot on the spot. From this perspective, the composition is highly eloquent; the scene is framed with an almost casual angle. The artist is not interested in carefully calibrated balance within the composition, but prefers to imbue the scene with an authenticity that can be found in its temporary and unrepeatable nature. For this reason, Galter, with a decidedly dynamic hatching, helps to capture a precise situation of light and atmosphere. And it is here that we see the outstanding technical and artistic prowess of a master like Pietro Galter. His realist streak does not prevent him from depicting things with extraordinary naturalism. Everything is bathed in a coherent rosy light, which perfectly unifies the scene. Furthermore, Pietro Galter's touch, besides being soft, is also charged with vibrations that give the work a fresh execution, bringing it back to the truth of existence. It is all this that makes Pietro Galter a masterful interpreter of that pictorial climate that, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, succeeded in combining the extraordinary quality of academically trained painting with the immediacy of execution brought about by the innovations of realism and impressionism.

Pietro Galter, Venice 1840-1901, studied at the Academy of his city and distinguished himself with marine paintings, which he especially treated in watercolor. In 1881 he exhibited "On the Lagoon" in Milan; in 1883, "Fishermen in the Lagoon" and "Venice" in Rome; in 1887, various works were exhibited in Venice, among which were "Mountains"; "Zoldo"; "Venice from the Gardens" and "Giudecca Canal."

The transaction takes place with maximum security for both the seller and the buyer. We take care of the conformity (provenance, authenticity, state of conservation) of the work and handle the shipping.
Returns are possible no later than 14 days after receiving the order.