The Tamesis
A Venetian palazzo painted by Claude Monet – complete with an unoccupied gondola floating in a cool-hued mist – is for sale through Christie’s International Real Estate. The site is on a main stretch of the Grand Canal, and prices are “available upon request” (a response had not yet been heard as of press time).
Its features include a boat ramp/dock, courtyards, terraces and gardens, and its provenance is rich: around the end of the 15th century, the so-called Palazzo Dario was converted from an earlier Gothic palace to suit the preferences of Giovanni Dario, secretary of the Venetian Senate and diplomat, who negotiated a peace agreement and was rewarded with money.
As the Christie’s listing reads: “The magnificent façade is decorated with circular polychrome marble inlays made of Pietra d’Istria, reflecting the Oriental influences Dario acquired during his long travels in Egypt and the Middle East and then transformed with the help of the architect into Veneto taste.” (The architect was Pietro Lombardo.)
Over time, Palazzo Dario attracted the attention of many Venetian wanderers, including art critic John Rushkin and—as Art Network News—Claude Monet, painted on canvas in 1908, now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Below are a selection of photos from the sale at Christie’s.
