A Venetian palace

Antonietta Brandeis prints bring the canals, palaces and squares of Venice into your home in jewel-like, sunlit detail. Brandeis was a Czech-born Italian painter and one of the first women to receive academic training in Italy, and her small, precise views of Venice, Florence and Rome were especially loved by English collectors. Our collection of fine art prints includes her views of St Mark's, the Rialto, the Grand Canal and many quieter corners of Venice.

About Antonietta Brandeis

Antonietta Brandeis was born on 13 January 1848 in Miskovice, near Kutná Hora in Bohemia. As a teenager she studied with the Czech painter Karel Javůrek in Prague. After her father's death her mother married a Venetian nobleman, Giovanni Scaramella, and the family moved to Venice.

In 1867 she enrolled at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts, one of the first women in Italy to receive academic art training; the right of women to such training was only granted by law in 1875. Her teachers included Michelangelo Grigoletti, Napoleone Nani, Domenico Bresolin, Pompeo Marino Molmenti and Federico Moja, and she won prizes in perspective, life drawing and art history.

She first exhibited in 1870, still a student, and from 1872 showed regularly in Venice, selling many pictures to foreign, especially English, buyers. For a time she exhibited under the name "Antonio Brandeis". From 1878 to 1893 she painted and exhibited widely, working in Verona, Bologna, Florence and Rome as well as Venice, and also painted altarpieces, several of which are on the island of Korčula in Croatia. She died in Venice on 20 March 1926.

Style and Subjects

Brandeis painted in the tradition of the eighteenth-century Venetian view painters, with meticulous detail and luminous light. Her pictures are usually small and precise, full of crisp architecture, sparkling water and tiny figures.

Alongside the great sights such as St Mark's and the Rialto, she loved quieter places: side canals, courtyards, bridges and the backs of palaces. She also painted genre scenes, portraits and religious subjects.

Famous Works

• Venice, Porta della Carta, Palazzo Ducale (1886). The ornate Gothic gateway of the Doge's Palace.
• Venice, a View of the Piazza San Marco. The great square with the Basilica and Campanile.
• The Rialto Bridge, Venice. Venice's famous bridge over the Grand Canal.
• Gondoliers on a Venetian Canal. Gondolas gliding along a quiet side canal.
• Canal in Venice with View of the Back of the Palazzo Rocca. A hidden corner of the city, typical of her quieter views.
• Venice, the Entrance to St Mark's Basilica. The glittering façade of the basilica.
• Ponte Vecchio, Florence. The old bridge over the Arno, from her travels beyond Venice.

Decorating with Brandeis Prints

Brandeis's small, bright views of Venice suit almost any room: a hallway, landing, bedroom or study. They look especially lovely in groups of three or four in matching gilt or wood frames, creating a travel journal of Italy on the wall.

Her views of St Mark's and the Grand Canal bring warmth and light to a living room or dining room, and suit both classic and modern interiors with soft, warm colours.

FAQ

Who was Antonietta Brandeis?

Antonietta Brandeis was a Czech-born Italian painter who lived from 1848 to 1926. She is known for her luminous, detailed views of Venice and other Italian cities.

Why is Antonietta Brandeis important?

She was one of the first women to receive academic art training in Italy, enrolling at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts in 1867, before women had a legal right to such study.

Why did she use the name "Antonio Brandeis"?

For a time she exhibited in Florence and Budapest under the male name Antonio Brandeis. Her biographer suggested she wanted her work judged on its own merits.

Did Antonietta Brandeis paint only Venice?

Venice was her main subject, but she also painted in Verona, Bologna, Florence and Rome, and made religious altarpieces, some of which are on the Croatian island of Korčula.

Who taught Antonietta Brandeis?

She studied first with Karel Javůrek in Prague and then at the Venice Academy under teachers including Pompeo Marino Molmenti and Domenico Bresolin.

Related Artists

• Canaletto: eighteenth-century Venetian view painter whose tradition she followed
• Francesco Guardi: eighteenth-century painter of Venetian views
• Ippolito Caffi: Venetian view painter of the generation before