British and American Artists in Venice 1815-1914
5 February 2026 at 10:30:00
Moor Park Mansion, Rickmansworth
Booking closes
29 January 2026
Santa Maria della Salute by Walter Sickert , 1901
BOOKING FOR THIS EVENT WILL OPEN IN MID-AUGUST 2025
Our Discovery Day will begin by examining Turner's love of Venice, which he visited briefly in 1819, 1833 and again in 1840, but continued to paint back in his studio in London. His Venetian pictures, often exhibited at the Royal Academy, influenced many artists to follow in his footsteps, including Samuel Prout, Clarkson Stanfield and William Callow.
John Ruskin was also influenced by Turner's passion for Venice and embarked upon a three-volume guide book 'The Stones of Venice' which had a great influence on the Gothic Revival in Victorian Britain. Later in his life Ruskin returned with younger artists whom he encouraged to paint in Venice, including John Bunney, John Inchbold and Albert Goodwin.
Other notable painters of Venice whose works we will explore today include Whistler, Sargent and Sickert. Sickert fell in love with Venice, returning regularly between 1894 and 1904, mingling with the ordinary people of Venice - shopkeepers, café owners, and models - and painting wonderfully atmospheric visions of this great city. Sargent stayed in the Palazzo Barbaro, which his American relations had bought, and looked upon Venice as 'the fountain of youth'. Although he is known as a portrait painter, Sargent painted the most wonderful watercolours of the city, which arguably have never been surpassed.
Our Speaker
Julian Halsby
Julian Halsby
Julian studied history and the history of art at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, before embarking on a career of lecturing, writing and art dealing, lecturing in London art colleges and running a gallery in North London. He has written six books on art history as well as many articles on art criticism and is a member of The Critics Circle and The International Association of Art Critics. He has lectured for The Arts Society for many years.
Julian is also a practising artist and was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1994, appointed Keeper in 2010. His publications include Venice - the Artist's Vision (1990, 1995), The Art of Diana Armfield RA (1995), Dictionary of Scottish Painters (1990, 1998, 2001, 4th edition 2010), A Hand to Obey the Demon's Eye (2000), Scottish Watercolours 1740-1940 (1986, 1991), A Private View - David Wolfers and the New Grafton Gallery (2002) and When Reason Dreams (2023).