View of Venice

Colman was a multitalented painter, interior decorator, and partner of Louis Comfort Tiffany in the Aesthetic design firm, Associated Artists, specializing in color schemes and pattern design. He was also one of the first American artists to visit southern Spain and North Africa, beginning in 1860, developing a distinctive “Orientalist” sensibility inspired by Islamic design. His longest stay abroad was in Venice, between 1871 and 1875, returning to New York with numerous paintings in oil, watercolor, and pastel as well as etchings. This ‘most serene’ view of the ancient republic—dubbed ‘La Serenissima’—captures the evocative beauty of the city’s watery setting, while highlighting the maritime trade that created its wealth and liberality. A magnet for artists throughout the centuries, Venice inspired visions of meditation and peace from nineteenth-century Americans, like Colman, as suggested by this ethereal work.