The Daily Norm

Jan 17

Venice: My paintings (Part 3) – The Rialto

As The Daily Norm waves goodbye to Venice (for now at least – I feel the need to return in warmer climes to capture the city endowed by blue skies and glittering sunshine), I thought it an appropriate time to share two artistic reflections on the city’s grand canal with you, both created by my own fair hand.

The first piece is a painting which marked the climax of my small Venice series of paintings, the previous four of which I have already shared with you in previous posts. More akin to a traditional Canaletto style of work, I painted this reflection on the grand central canal of Venice shortly after visiting the city in 2007. This painting is not so much about the ripples or the details of the buildings or gondolas, but about the grandeur and beauty of the city when considered from one of its most popular viewpoints –here from atop the famous Rialto Bridge.

Venice V (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

I was so pleased with the finish of this work – the effect of light on the water in these dying hours of a sunny winter’s day in the city. The work, which I painted in oil on canvas, was sold shortly after completion, and now hangs in a solicitors firm in Sussex.

Meanwhile, talking of the Rialto Bridge, I thought I would also return to another of my works, albeit this time one of my Norm sketches completed in a completely different style and medium – this time in pen and ink on paper. This small sketch was completed in 2012 as part of a series of Italy Norm sketches which included Rome, Florence, Pisa, the Vatican and Sicily, and the original can now be found hanging in a small town by the Mediterranean sea in Tuscany along with the rest of the series. The sketch, which shows Norm tourists and gondoliers alike slowly ambling along the Grand Canal under the architecturally renowned Rialto Bridge, was originally featured on this blog in July 2012 – but 18 months on, I think it’s only right that it gets a good airing.

Norms in Venice (2012 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)

My head is now filled with the prospect of new Venetian paintings – hopefully I’ll be featuring one on The Daily Norm soon!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 16

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Natale Italiano | Venice – A photographic miscellany

From rose-tinted street lamps and highly-glossed gondolas, to gilded, feathered and hand-painted masks and the much weathered but still glorious colonnades of the Piazza San Marco; this is an album of miscellaneous photos of Venice captured on my recent travels, and with which I shall bid adieu to my tales of Venice on this blog. But despite my finding no better collective title for this set than “miscellaneous”, they are nonetheless bound by one harmonious element: the glory of La Serenissima herself. Venice: City of bridges, of masks, of canals; City of the winged lion, of gilding and of glass. It’s a city whose beauty transfers so easily to all forms of artistic expression. And in photography, it is possible to capture the mood and elegance of the city whatever the weather.

Because every turn of every corner in Venice is like some kind of stroll into wonderland, almost like a make-believe theme park manufactured to pleasure the senses rather than fulfil any kind of logical purpose, there were opportunities to take photographs almost every second of our time on the island city. And so limiting my set of some 1,300 photos down to a featured few has been both a challenge and a delight. But of those which made the cut, I think a sense of the unique mysticism of the city shines through, not only in the deeply atmospheric shots of the lagoon shrouded in mist and the ancient artefacts which pepper the city, but also in the glimpses of those enigmatic masks, calmly gliding gondolas, and the neglected facades of once grand buildings whose every crack and rupture tells a hundred stories of the abundantly rich and decadent history of this city.

I give you Venice: in photographs

See you soon… in Rome!

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jan 15

Mother and Child

Yesterday I shared a new Norm altarpiece sketch which was inspired by my recent 2013 rendezvous in Venezia, and in particular by a visit to the foremost temple of golden age Venetian art, the Gallerie dell’Accademia. In today’s post, I wanted to share with you an altarpiece painting which was inspired by my first visit to Venice and to its Accademia gallery back in 2001.

What had struck me, when I was studying art history as a young 18 year old gap year student was just how decisive religious, and in particular Christian art, had been in shaping the trajectory of European art history. From the earliest gold glistening mosaics of early Christian church decorations, moving onto the gold leafed altarpieces of the early Renaissance age, to the later grand spectacles of artists such as Tintoretto and Veronese in their imposing and elaborate illustrations of the bible stories, religion was more often than not the primary inspiration if not a reason to paint, and religious institutions an artist’s primary patron. Surprisingly enough, being more a fan from a young age of the more secular art of the Impressionists, and of the boundary-pushing masterpieces of 20^th century artists, I wasn’t all that conversant with the religious art which dominated the lion’s share of artistic works pre-18^th century. Consequently, it was perhaps this new exposure to religious art of the early second millennium which struck me most as a young student wandering around the major collections of Italian art.

Acting upon this new found knowledge, and also attracted by the prospect of playing with some gold leaf, I set about painting my own early renaissance-style altarpiece when I returned home. But my altarpiece was to be something a little different. Rather than paint Mary and Jesus, I opted for a self portrait and a portrait of my mother (thus moving the “Mother and Child” concept into my own personal sphere). I then went about filling the work with personal references. Asides from the usual blue and red gown worn by Mary, my mother had with her a Burberry bag, while I adorned myself (the “baby”) in a Burberry nappy (Burberry was very big at the time having enjoyed something of its own renaissance!). In my hand I hold “Fluffy”, the cuddly toy who was my favourite throughout my youth, his angry little face always tickling me, and his furry finish comforting me as I slept. Meanwhile on my right, a wooden manikin, the kind used by artists, was intended to symbolise my future destiny as an artist.

Mother and Child (2001 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas)

I had great fun with this painting, especially in modernising the wooden “throne” upon which we are sitting, and applying gold leaf to the background of the canvas (although I remember it being decidedly fiddly to do). I also applied cracking varnish across the surface, giving the piece and altogether antique look, and framed the canvas in an old antique wood.

Some more religious folk found the work to be a little audacious – perhaps even sacrilegious. But that was never my intention. Rather my aim was to take the traditional and intimate pose of the world’s most famous mother and child and apply it to my own family setting. The gold and the throne, the halos and everything else besides are merely part of the theatre of the piece, and references signposting the art historical genre which had inspired the work.

For most however, the finished work immediately became a favourite of my very early paintings, particularly amongst my family, and the altarpiece was hung immediately in pride of place in the family home, where it continues to hang today. A reminder not just of the close bond between my mother and me, but also of the time when an art history trip to Italy opened my eyes to an even greater expanse of art history than I had ever previously been aware, and to the endless possibilities upon which my own artistic journey would take me.

I leave you with just a few of art history’s best Mother and Child altarpieces. You never know, maybe 200 years from now, mine will join them!

Duccio

Fra Angelico

Masaccio

Filippo Lippi

Piero della Francesca

Raphael

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 14

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The Norm Nativity (New Year’s Extra) | Madonna Norm Enthroned

Norm Nativity? I hear you ask – Didn’t we just laboriously put away our Christmas decorations for another year? Well yes. But while the birth of Jesus Norm may be over and done with, of course his life (in story terms) has only just begun. While this could theoretically lead me onto all sorts of Norm sketching paths, I have paused for the moment on a time of celebration of the birth of Jesus Norm – when the Catholic Church faithful, in their reverence to Mary Norm, recognised her role in this miraculous birth and promoted her to “Madonna” and enthroned her on high. So here she is, sat upon a mighty adorned throne with Jesus Norm, a clearly intelligent child, already installed with a book (or gospel, whatever it may be).

Madonna Norm Enthroned (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and gold paint on paper)

So why have I chosen to add this extra little scene to my Christmas Norm Nativity on what must be the equivalent of at least the 20th day of Christmas? Well, if the connection hasn’t already struck you, I was inspired to draw this additional little Norm sketch by a painting which was hanging in the Gallerie dell’Accademia and featured in yesterday’s post on Venice Day 3 – Antonio Rosso’s Madonna Enthroned. Having used Rosso’s work as the basis of my own Norm Madonna enthroned, my Norm finds herself inadvertently sat in a throne elegantly embellished with the Venetian lion of St Mark alongside all sorts of other religious characters, while at the foot of the throne below, Madonna Norm is greeted by an accompanying troupe of musical angel Norms, playing a perfect harmonious accompaniment in melodic celebration of this wonderous birth. Hallelujah – Madonna Norm is enthroned!

More gold-based Venetian lavishness coming up…tomorrow!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 13

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Natale Italiano | Venice – Day 3: Tintoretto Treasure Trove

Compared with the weekend days we had spent in Venice so far, waking up to the city on a Monday was a quite different experience. Suddenly, canals which had previously been so quiet, hosting only a lone gondola or two, had suddenly become bustling with working people. It was captivating to watch how Venice came alive, not just as a tourist funfair, but also as a living city with the practical needs and commercial transactions that go with it. So, for example, I whiled away many a minute at the beginning of this day watching a post delivery boat in the canal below our room offloading large parcels onto the quayside, as well as a rubbish boat a few canals down, loading the weekend’s refuse onto its bobbing timbers. It was fascinating to note (although I suppose the thought should have been obvious) that in Venice everything really does come and go via water – a city intrinsically married to the transient milieu which surrounds it.

Venice awakens

But we didn’t have time to stop and stare for too long, no matter how tempting that may have been. We had art on the mind – something which comes easily in a city whose historical relationship with art was so strong that today the small island has become an abundant treasure trove of art historical treasures. And no where on the island can you see such a spread of these artistic riches than in the city’s primary gallery, the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

I vividly remember visiting the gallery on what was probably the first day of my art history course in 2001. Our teacher, Grant (“Grantus”) took us into the first main gallery there and sat us on the floor amongst panel after panel of glinting gilded altarpiece paintings. There he took out of his pocket what looked to be a sheet of gold and, like a magician, threw the gold up into the air letting it flutter into our hands. This demonstration served as a introduction to the lavishness of Venetian art, from the gold leaf which adorned the background of these pre-renaissance altar pieces, to the scale and astonishing execution of some of the greater works which came later.

Veronese, Feast at the House of Levi

Back in 2013, and the Accademia continued to captivate me as it had 12 years before. For who could not be entranced and knocked back a little by the vast masterpiece, Feast at the House of Levi by Veronese. Originally entitled The Last Supper, Veronese had been forced to change the name when the painting, which shows the traditional Last Supper set-up surrounded by all manner of musicians, actors, animals and various unsavouries, attracted the attention of the Roman Catholic Inquisition. The inquisition called Veronese to answer for what they considered to be the “irreverence and indecorum” of including within the scene depicting Christ and his Apostles a band of “buffoons, drunken Germans, dwarfs and other such scurrilities”. Thanks mainly to the support of Venetian authorities, the painting was saved – but the name changed. And here it hangs to be widely admired today, alongside other brilliant masterpieces – amongst my favourites Bellini’s Madonna of the Red Cherubs, which looks almost futuristic with those surreal blood red cherubs behind her, Antonio Rosso’s Madonna Enthroned, and Giambattista Cima da Conegliano’s Lion of Saint Mark.

Bellini, Madonna of the Red Cherbubs

Giambattista Cima de Conegliano, The Lion of St Mark

Antonio Rosso, Madonna Enthroned

However, my favourite work of all continues to be St Mark’s Body Brought to Venice by Venetian supremo, Tintoretto. With its ephemeral light and whispish ghostly forms over on the left of the canvas, as well as its moody blood red sky and dramatically shadowed body of St Mark, the painting demonstrates, to my mind, modernity beyond its time (Tintoretto painted it in 1548). It could easily be mistaken for a surreal masterpiece by Salvador Dali, and you can see the influence of Tintoretto in artists who came later, like Spain’s El Greco with his looser, dramatically coloured figures.

Tintoretto, St Mark’s Body Brought to Venice (1548)

But as we were to discover, the handful of Tintoretto’s on show at the Accademia would only scratch the surface of the Tintoretto treasure trove to be found in Venice. And to discover to what extent Venice lavished upon this artistic supremo, and just how much Tintoretto painted in return, one has to visit the mind-bogglingly beautiful salas of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, where we headed that afternoon (We did so after a pizza in a slightly dodgy looking tourist pizzeria near the Rialto Bridge. With a view that good, I didn’t think the food would be up to much but we were pleasantly surprised – a perfectly crispy pizza base munched over an unbeatable view: Priceless).

Lunch with a view…

Between 1565 and 1567 and again from 1575 to 1588, Tintoretto, in an incredibly prolific bout of creativity, painted some 50 masterpieces to cover the walls and sensationally gilded ceiling of the new showcase palace of the Confraternity of St Roch. The cycles, dealing with both old testament stories as well as the birth and life of Christ (culminating in a huge crucifixion masterpiece) are startling in their action packed illustrations of these well-known stories, demonstrating more than ever before Tintoretto’s brilliant dexterity when it came to perspective and light, as well as his ability to paint effectively on a monumental scale.

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco

There was so much to look at in the Scuola, from the sensational wood carved panelling along the walls, and the incredibly opulent gold ceiling and grand staircase leading up to this first floor paradise, that the Tintoretto’s could easily have become second fiddle to the general sensation which one feels when entering the room. Nonetheless, you want to spend at least 10 minutes concentrating on each of Tintoretto’s masterpieces, but soon realise that were you to give them such time, you would remain in the place for a whole day. And so eventually we had to drag ourselves away, leaving the Scuola Grande with such a sense of awe that the previous day’s exploration of all this golden and glamourous had just reached absolute overdrive.

Tintoretto Cycle – Miracle of the Bronze Serpent

Tintoretto Cycle – The Annunciation

Tintoretto Cycle, The Adoration of the Shepherds

Tintoretto Cycle – Christ Circumcised

Tintoretto Cycle – The Last Supper

Tintoretto Cycle – The Crucifixion

Exhausted by the efforts of trying to take all this golden glory in, we retreated happily to the Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio where, in the Bar “Al Prosecco” we treated ourselves to two very delectable glasses of “surlie” prosecco – a cloudy variety which allegedly results from the lack of chemicals in this purer form of the drink – which makes you wonder just what chemicals go into the more traditional clear version of the bubbly drink! With these two glasses clinked before the Christmas-twinkling scene before us, we toasted our trip to Venice. For the next day, we were heading south. To Rome.

Jan 10

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Venice: My paintings (Part 2) – Ripples

No artist can visit Venice and not be inspired. By the mist which clings so densely to its cold canals in the winter time, and the sun which shines upon the city with such alacrity in summer; by the classic Venetian gothic architecture which graces its canal-side palazzos, and the astounding masterpieces of art history which adorn the insides of those residences and their neighbouring churches alike; and by the elegance which resides at the core of Venetian values as manifested in the masquerade balls, the carnevale, and the most sophisticated of all modes of transportation: the gondola. But above all things, as yesterday’s photography focus demonstrated, no artist can fail to be inspired by the watery reflections which provide a unique, second facet to the city.

Back in around 2007, when I made a short weekend visit to the city, I came back loaded with ideas of what I wanted to paint. On Monday, I shared with you two of the paintings I created at that time, focusing mainly on the Grand Canal and the palazzos which neighbour it. Today however, it’s time for those rippled waters to take centre stage, as I share two further paintings from that brief 2007 collection, both of these focusing not so much on the city itself, but on its rippled reflection in water.

Venice II (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice IV (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice II is almost a complete reflection, with only the mere hint of the end of a gondola representing the real world above water; while Venice IV focuses a bit more on the lavish paintwork which adorns so many gondolas and the kind of narrow canal “street” which is so characteristic of the city.

There’s one more Venice 2007 painting to share with you, and then it’s surely time to paint something new…? See you next time.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jan 9

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Natale Italiano | Venice – Photography Focus: Ripples

I’ve always loved the effect of water. The way the light shines through it, and on it; the way still water reflects perfectly like a mirror, and conversely the way moving water distorts an image into its own abstract reimagining. My love for the effect of water has always translated into both my art (see my post tomorrow) and my photography so much so that I’ll always remember my friend, Mackenna, lovingly taunting me every time we crossed one of the breathtaking bridges in Paris where upon, almost as automatically as one takes a pause to consider the beauty of the Seine, I would snatch out my camera and start snapping away at the effect of the illuminated bridges reflecting in the water below.

It will come as little surprise then that for me, Venice is like some kind of quasi-orgasmic over-abundant celebration of rippled reflection; a city so spectacular that they managed to build it twice – once in reality, and once in reflection. A city whose very soul is the water which laps around its foundations and without which it would be a city stripped of half the beauty that it manifests to such worldwide renown.

When you get Venice on a sunny day, those delicate terracottas, pungent oranges and sunny yellows of its buildings reflect to startling effect in its waters against the blue sky beyond. When we were in Venice however, mist largely predominated. This means that my photographic homage to the watery wonders of the city is a more sedate, more muted affair. Nonetheless, there can be no doubting the very transient beauty which nevertheless resides in those photos of ripples and movement through Venice’s canals.

But this post is not just about the ripples. Here too I bring you some of my favourite shots of Venice’s most quaint canals; the characteristic stripy wooden poles which emerge out of the water like a candy-cane forest; and of course the gondolas whose presence is as much an integral element of Venice’s waters as the ravens are to the Tower of London.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jan 8

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Natale Italiano | Venice – Day 2: All that glitters is Venetian gold

A London tourist knows when he is abroad when he awakes, not to the ear-splitting wail of a police siren, but to the tolling bells ringing out from old renaissance bell towers, their calming peal harmonious to the ears, especially when, in Venice, there is no nearby traffic to otherwise preclude the passage of that early-morning melody. And perhaps it is also because we are so used to the animated streets of London that the comparative silence of Venice’s tranquil canals struck such a chord on this misty bright first morning, when the only sounds were the gentle lapping of waters when a lonely gondola passed by.

Now that’s a view to wake up to…

That we should rise, with some degree of Casanovian elegance, in our sumptuous hotel room lined with fabric wall coverings of golden thread, under a bed spread which reflected this glory with its own ample gold thread-count kick-started what was to become something of a theme to the day, if not to the whole Venice trip: Glorious and Golden. For all its decay, the neglected paint work, the stagnant waters, and the dirt-ridden façade of the Piazza San Marco’s colonnaded palazzos, Venice is, at its heart, a city of insuperable decadence, glamour and sophistication. And just in case the point could not be made obvious from the lavish boutiques, the jewel-covered masks and the elaborate architecture, one building more than any other shouts out glamour more than any other: from its richly coloured marble façade right up to its astonishing golden cupolas. The Basilica San Marco. And it was to this beating heart of Venice’s identity that we headed first, as we set out on a new day ambling amongst the jewels of the Queen of the Adriatic.

The Basilica’s marble-clad exterior

Ever since its first construction in the 9th century to commemorate the arrival in Venice of the (allegedly) stolen remains of St Mark, this magnificent cathedral, prime example of the Byzantine style of architecture, has been at the heart of the city. Adorned with 8000m squared of golden mosaics, and jewels and treasures aplenty collected from across the world in the aftermath of Venice’s many historical conquests, the Basilica is not just a symbol of religious devotion, but also historical prowess. Above all things, it is a temple of the utmost opulence. When visitors first enter, you can literally hear the little eruptions of “wow” escaping from tourists’ mouths as their astonishment is articulated at a first glimpse of this heavenly space.

For me, with its expanse of paradisal golden cupolas glimmering and sparkling across every curve and corner of the cathedral’s vast ceiling, Saint Mark’s is without a doubt the most stunning church in all the world. And while photo taking was banned, Dominik and I naturally ignored this, surreptitiously taking photos, largely from cameras wrapped up in our scarves (before we became a bit more brazen in our approach). So while gazing at the incredible majesty of the Basilica as represented in these photos, don’t forget the extra effort we had to go to in order to bring them to you!

…but the real treasure is inside

Having become almost tongue-twisted with awe in the Basilica, we spent the rest of the morning largely ambling around Venice’s superfluity of canals and side streets, shop-lined passages and piazzas – for what greater joy is there than to get lost in Venice. And while it would be difficult to beat the splendour of St Mark’s, even in that pursuit we could not help but be wowed by the opulence which scatters its luxurious bounty all over the city: Gondolas with their highly ornamented damask seating fringed with golden unicorns and lions glided elegantly down canals and under bridges; in the shops, windows came alive with glinting gold masks and sparkling glass Christmas trees; and lining canals and cobbled streets, Venice’s palazzos and houses, while often tired and ageing, retain the unique grace and characteristic elegance which has made them famous throughout the world.

All that glitters is Venetian gold…

Natale Italiano | Venice – Day 1: The Arrival

There is something unquestionably unique about arriving in Venice, the Floating City of Italy. The city’s swish mainland airport, surrounded by its main roads and cars, is the last reference to the real world you will have. Leaving the airport behind, and walking left along a progressively foggy winding road, you head towards a mode of transportation far more suited to transporting visitors to the City whose very foundations are forged in partnership with water: a boat. Taking the step from firm ground onto the bobbing wooden floor of a water bus, attempting to balance luggage with one hand, and steadying yourself with the other, suddenly the ordinary becomes a little more extraordinary, as the next stage of the journey to Venice makes its progress across water. And this is when it hits you – that Venice is indeed no ordinary place; cut off from reality not just because of the very unique look and feel to the city, but because stranded out in water, it is literally an island separated from the rest of the world. This sense of separation and mystery increases as the journey by boat steadily increases in length, as the boat heads further and further into the thick mists of the lagoon until suddenly, without so much as a warning, the elegant facades of palazzos, and the stripy gold-fringed finish of poles for tying boats begins.

A water bus into Venice

This was how we arrived into Venice; our senses gradually reprogrammed so that by the time we arrived into the city, we knew that we were coming upon something special; a conclusion which cannot have been doubted when the boat took us into Venice’s heart via the Grand Canal, and before us the glittering lights of the bustling Rialto Bridge met our line of vision. Oh the beautiful Serenissima – Queen of the Adriatic. Is it any surprise that so many visitors have fallen under your spell, ensnared by your unquestionable beauty from palazzo to palazzo, bridge to bridge?

First views of Venice – the Rialto and the Grand Canal

Stepping off the water bus just after the Rialto bridge, we could still feel the bobbing and rocking motion of the boat as we took our first steps on land, before gradually realising that we were on firm ground again, albeit ground with the most stunning views of the Grand Canal and of all the little shopping streets and side canals which run off it. Like being in a film, we wound our way through those small streets and across tiny bridges in search of our hotel, all the while pausing only to close our mouths which would otherwise hang open in astonishment. Was a city ever as beautiful as this?

Inside the Aqua Palace Hotel

Upon arriving at our hotel, the splendid Aqua Palace Hotel, we were afforded yet further opportunity to gaze in wonder at this truly incredible city – being given, as we were, a superb room with not one, not two, but three windows looking directly onto the Guerra canal which surrounds the hotel. Barely able to comprehend the beauty of what lay beyond our windows, we managed to stagger away from those windows and out into the city, heading first and foremost to the place where any visit to Venice must begin – the Piazza San Marco. The proximity of our hotel meant that this joy was not long awaited, and within minutes, the staggering view of the onion shaped roofs of Saint Mark’s Basilica rose into sight, along with its campanile whose roof was already shrouded in the mysterious mist which had enveloped its way around the city.

The Piazza San Marco

Where to next? Why the Caffe Florian of course which, having opened its doors in 1720, is a contender for being one of the world’s oldest cafes and which has continued to woo visitors and locals alike in all of the years which have since passed. With its elaborate gilded and frescoed interior, together with its cute little corner seats nestled next to the window with a colonnaded view over Saint Mark’s Square, Florian’s is truly the best place to begin a trip to Venice – something we clinked our glasses to there an then; a glass of prosecco on one side, and a glass of Venetian Valpolicella on the other.

Florian’s

From there, time before dinner afforded us ample opportunity to stroll around and acquaint ourselves with the city. For me, this was a re-acquaintance, having very briefly studied art history here in 2001, and visited for a short weekend a few years thereafter. For Dominik: this was a first visit to Venice, and for him, all of the inevitable excitement at discovering this gem afresh was evident to be seen – a glistening to his eyes caused, if not by the beautiful Christmas lights lining the colonnades of St Mark’s and the plush shopping streets surrounding it, then by reason of the emotion which greets one when the sheer beauty of Venice is taken in for the first time. Past baroque churches and small piazzas, over bridge after bridge crossing quiet little canals, their greeny waters still like ice, and along finally to the Accademia Bridge, from which that famous view, stretching down the Grand Canal towards the Santa Maria della Salute, could be enjoyed in all its elegant majesty.

The Accademia view and walking the streets of Venice

With our eyes nearly popping, and our legs already exhausted from the continuous ascent and descent over bridge after bridge, it was time for a rest, and for a heart-warming culinary welcome to the city: dinner. Our gastronomic benvenuto was provided by the perfect little eatery: Alle Testiere (Calle del Mondo Novo). Able to give their full attention to the few little tables squeezed into the restaurant, the staff were wonderfully attentive, spoke perfect English, and made this culinary welcome a warm one. The wine – some more of that Venetian Valpolicella – was as sensationally smooth as was our gentle arrival onto the Grand Canal but hours earlier.

But the food was something beyond mere description – taste sensations which need to be sampled rather than photographed or described. But in an attempt to at least provide some insight into that perfect little meal, let me tell you that my pumpkin and shrimp ravioli with which I started (but alas did not photograph) was amongst one of the best dishes of food I ate in 2013 – perfectly cooked al dente pasta, with a fusion of sweet creamy pumpkin and delicate salty shrimp which had my palate dancing for joy. The creamy saffron gnocchi with fennel and prawns which I gorged upon afterwards did likewise. For Dominik meanwhile, the freshness of a squid salad presented all of the benefits of eating in a city surrounded by water, while his main of spaghetti vongole made us realise just how mediocre the same dish can be when eaten locally in London.

Our evening was rounded off, as all evenings should be. by an equally sensational dessert of smooth ricotta cheesecake, a glass of dessert wine with cantuccini for dipping, and a further stroll around the tiniest of alleyways and grandest of Piazzas which the area of our hotel provided in their multitude. After only a few hours in Venice, we returned to our hotel well aware that in visiting the city, we were living out some kind of dream; a surreal experience like none other. Where there are no roads or cars to wake you, taxis and buses that move on water, and houses that plunge straight into water. And if we needed further clarification of the surreal character of this very unique city, a glance out of the window that night to see Santa, dressed in red, crossing a bridge a little further down the canal (no joke) was confirmation that there truly is no place quite like Venice.

Join me on The Daily Norm for a whole load more in homage to Venice and beyond – coming soon.

Jan 6

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Venice: My paintings (Part 1) – The Grand Canal

I have decided to begin the narrative of my recent adventures in Venice, Rome and Naples at Christmas by sharing a few of the paintings I created when I last visited the watery paradise of Venezia in 2007. Painting 5 works in all, 2 of which are featured today, I was drawn, as so many of the best artists have been before me (Turner, Monet, Manet, Canaletto, Whistler, Seurat to name but a few…) to reflect upon the very unique face of a city which simply has no rival elsewhere in the world.

With its liquid reflections doubling up the views of every street, every palazzo and every church; it’s unique style of gothic architecture creating elegant lattice-like facades; it’s canals filled with stripy gondoliers and the elegant gondolas themselves; and for all its magnificent statues and pink lamps and bridges and art-stuffed churches, Venice is just a gift for artists.

Venice I (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

Venice III (2007 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, oil on canvas)

When I last went to the city I came back, somewhat predictably, with a whole pile of photos which then inspired me to turn my hand to painting. These first two canvases focus on two typical Venetian views, both based on a series of photos I took of the Grand Canal. While I look back on these works now and see some degree of naivety in their finish, you can see how fascinated I was with the watery ripples which cast an abstract reimagining in every Venice reflection, as well as with the renowned elegance of those great Grand Canal Palazzos and the gondolas that float onwards before them.

For all the criticism I could give these old works now, someone must have liked them – I sold them both shortly after their completion!

More Venice ahead – so join me soon on The Daily Norm!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com