Ippolito Caffi

(Belluno 1809–1866 Lissa)
Venice, a Nocturnal Festival on Via Eugenia, signed, dated Caffi 1858, oil on canvas, 50 x 77 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private Collection, Italy.

Given the widespread appeal of the subject, Caffi revisited this composition on multiple occasions. Three other versions are held in public collections, namely at the Ca’ Pesaro Museum of Modern Art, the Civic Museum of Belluno, and the Revoltella Museum in Trieste. Another variant was sold at Dorotheum in 2016.

Admitted to the Venice Academy at a very young age in 1827, Caffi soon distinguished himself as a gifted landscape painter. Though he resided in Rome from 1832 to 1848, he frequently returned to Venice, capturing the city in luminous hues and ever-shifting light. His vedute often depict the city enlivened by vibrant festivities, where banners, natural and artificial lights, and the interplay of brilliance against nocturnal shadows create striking the chromatic effects Caffi is known for.

As seen in the present work, the moonlight illuminates the lagoon and the boats resting upon the water as well as some architectural elements all throughout the painting. Groups of figures gather around a fire, drawn to its warm glow, mirroring a similar scene further down the street. These light sources, rich in warm tones, highlight the façades of the buildings, contrasting with the cooler reflections cast by the lagoon.

This painting exemplifies Caffi’s remarkable ability to conjure atmospheric effects on canvas — a skill that earned him enduring acclaim. The fusion of poetic beauty and enigmatic allure is particularly evident in his depiction of the nocturnal festival on what was then Via Eugenia, now known as Via Garibaldi.