Pietro Longhi, Manner of (Venezia, 1702 - 1785)
The Morning Visit, late 18th century
oil on canvas; inv. P 250
provenance: Bequest of Pier Ignazio Rusconi, 1930
Pietro Longhi often worked with the theme portrayed in this painting,
but here the quality falls far short of Longhi’s standard.
The scene, which is typical of representations of the habits and
customs of the patrician class in Venice – here two gentlemen
pay a morning visit to a lady – lingers over ambiance in
details such as the pelmet; the rich wall-hangings, the Venetian mirror
with two lights, engraved glass and golden frame, the table upon which
rest an ink stand, a letter and a paperknife.
