Imagine Seeing Venice When It Was Like This

A diverse and jostling view of the Italian city

The Piazza of Saint Mark’s, Venice (1883) by William Logsdail. Oil on canvas. 126.2 × 222.3 cm. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK. Image source BMA (open access)

Venice is a city of splendour.

The great seafaring city-state, which sits at the crossroads of east and west having traded with both, became a city of merchants and travellers, bringing in silks, spices, marbles, indigo and jewels.

William Logsdail’s portrayal of Venice encapsulates much of this rich tapestry — as it appeared in the 19th century. The painting shows a panorama of crowds in the main square of the city, capturing the incessant bustle of the piazza of San Marco.

Detail of ‘The Piazza of Saint Mark’s, Venice’ (1883) by William Logsdail. Oil on canvas. 126.2 × 222.3 cm. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK. Image source BMA (open access)

We see glimpses of the arches and mosaics of the great basilica in the distance, with its multitude of columns and gold, whilst sprawling out in front is a plethora of activity. There are tourists drinking coffee, men with exotic animals, bohemian artists, locals gesticulating and smoking, and friends and companions in the midst of conversation.

The Artist

Logsdail was an English artist who made this painting in 1883, aged only 25 years old. He had moved to Venice three years earlier, after first studying in Antwerp…