(Myslkovice 1849–1910 Venice)
Palazzo Contarini Fasan, detto Casa di Desdemona Venice, signed (in ligature) A. Brandeis, old title on the reverse,
oil on panel, 24.5 x 13.5 cm, framed, (Rei)

This work depicts the Palazzo Contarini Fasan, also known as the Casa di Desdemona, in Venice.

In 1867, Antonietta Brandeis was the first woman admitted to the Academy in Venice, where she studied under Michelangelo Grigoletti. Her love of Italy, where she also lived, is exemplified in many of her works. Her artistic interest was drawn to Venice, in particular. The brilliant colours and abundance of detail in her paintings are their defining feature.

The Palazzo Contarini Fasan dates back to the fifteenth century, and is located on the Grand Canal. The Palazzo’s nickname, Casa di Desdemona, as it is still known colloquially, is likely connected to Shakespeare’s Othello. Othello was a commander working in the service of Venice, who fought against the Turks and married Desdemona without her father’s knowledge. Some Venetian anecdotes explain the Palazzo’s nickname with reference to the fact that the owner of the Palazzo, Niccolo Contarini, was also a commander in the war against the Turks, and was dark-skinned, like Othello. In addition, the legend states that jealousy led Contarini to strangle and then kill his wife, who had fled to her family. A different version explains the name Desdemona by stating that Cristoforo Moro (translated as “Moor” in English, and the same as Othello’s nickname in Italian), an Admiral in the Venetian Navy, married one of the daughters of Donato da Lezze in 1515, nicknamed “Demonio Bianco” (white demon), which has colloquially been spoofed as “Desdemona”.
Brandeis’ small painting is striking as a result of its precise shapes and vivid colours. She represents architecture, such as the decoration on the Gothic balcony, in a masterful way.