Imagining Venice

Before going to Venice, I read a lot of things that people had said about the city.  Many accounts differed, some extolling Venice’s for its virtues, others denouncing it for its faults.  I really didn’t know what to expect. I was hoping that the place of beauty that I saw in the paintings would not disappoint me.  Venice was a place of magic to me before I went, and I was afraid that it would not live up to my expectations.

San Giorgio Maggiore

Now that I have visited Venice and returned, I can say that it met many of my expectations.  The words written by its previous visitors took life while I was there.  None more so than the words of Henry James, who said that “Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors.”

As a visitor myself, I am sad to say that this is true.  Hoards of tourists visit Venice daily.  They crowd the streets, bump into you, block your path, and make getting around the city incredibly frustrating.  They make Venice feel like a cross between Disneyland and Las Vegas, rather than a real city of history and atmosphere.

St. Mark's Square

It took more than a couple days to get over my frustration with the tourists.  I am glad I got to stay in Venice as long as I did because if I had not, I might have missed it.  I would have missed the beauty.  I might have let my frustration with the tourists blind me to the light that glimmered off the water, blind me to the age and history of its buildings.  I might not have had the time to get lost in the outskirts of the city, where I encountered the nicest people and got to see the city that lay beneath the tourists.

“This was Venice, the flattering and suspect beauty this city, half fairy tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once rankly and voluptuously blossomed, where composers have been inspired to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism.”
Thomas Mann,  Death in Venice

Sunset on the canals

During our class we talked about Venice being a symbol for death and dying. So to explore this idea more we went to the Cemetery Island just outside of Venice. Here we were able to explore, make art, and sort of take in the idea of death and dying.

I found this island to be sad and almost lonely. Every grave had fake flowers and was very plain. I was saddened that either family never came and visited or were unable to. I did not think I could find anything happy or joyful. I then stumbled upon this grave. I am not sure what to say about it, other than it is unique.

I hope you find a bit of joy in this bedazzled grave too.

The group went to the Rialto bridge for the first time! It is a beautiful bridge, and many stairs. If you eve come to Venice you will have to see this bridge. It is on the grand canal, so you can’t miss it.

This group of students has amazed me with their dedication to painting while on our trip. No time more so than the 6 a.m. trek to Piazza san Marco to catch the sunrise view of San Giorgio Maggiore. I have proof of their diligence that I am showing here. Everyone is getting much better at recognizing and then painting my obsession over the light of Venice. Note the yellow glow on the Chiesa Santa Maria della Salute in the background!

Yesterday we took a very long day trip to the islands, starting at Murano and then going to Burano and Torcello. Many of the students chose to pay the 5 euro to see a glassblowing demonstration on Murano, as well as do the usual shopping and the not-so-usual, but expected, “making of art.”

We ate lunch at beautiful Burano and then broke apart to pursue individual artistic pursuits. A number of the students gravitated to a park to enjoy the greenery — a rare site in Venice — and some shady respite from the 80-degree weather.

Then we were off to the final stop, Torcello, which we talked about in class as the first Venetian settlement and oldest Venetian church. Several students sketched the church before heading out to look around this green, rural island. The photo here shows some of them sitting on Ponte di Diavolo, or the bridge of the devil, which can be found on the walkway between the vaporetto stop and the church.

This morning we all got up early to paint San Giorgio Maggiore from the Molo (next to Piazza San Marco) in the gorgeously clear dawn sunlight. After that, everyone was free until 11, when we agreed to meet up at the Frari Church. Several of our students raced in to attend Mass at the Frari, while the others split up to hunt down groceries for tonight’s home-cooked Sunday dinner or to do a little more painting. Here are our painters, sitting by the edge of the canal gazing at the Frari as they work.

All of the painting has attracted a lot of tourist attention! It’s surprising how fascinated people are by the sight of somebody painting and sketching. I imagine some of this class are going to find photos of themselves online someday, in a complete stranger’s Venice photo-blog….

Unfortunately, masses at the Frari didn’t get out until 1, instead of 11, as we’d thought, so we weren’t able to go in (except those who’d attended Mass). We’ll get there later, though.

I had to show you this window of sweets. These were the most beautiful on the route from our palazzo to the Rialto. Torrone is a nougat confection that is not too sweet. I had to buy the pistachio.

Terry’s Venice May 19

Other than my goal of getting to Venice with students and no longer just “imagining venice”, I can check off “sitting at Florian’s on Piazza San Marco in the evening.” Dr. Dru and I wandered around the Piazza and the Molo looking for places to stabilize the camera for night shots before sitting to listen to the music until eleven at night. It must be the pace we are keeping that has given Dru a cold. I am sure to follow her lead! We sent the students to Rialto market this morning to buy food for our family style Sunday dinner which I will be cooking with appetizers by Kelsey. I took some shots for future paintings. Every watercolor artist who comes to Venice paints the morning light streaming through the collonade. Those shots are on Dru’s camera and so if this post via iPad works, I will try to update more regularly. The previous days activities may just be out of order and we hope to get a student blog or two.

We arrived in Venice and have settled down in our fabulous palazzo; it’s about 11:30 p.m. and all the students are settling in, taking showers, and getting ready to get up bright and early to visit Saint Mark’s square tomorrow morning.

In this first photo, all the students (except MaryBeth, who left with Prof. Spehar-Fahey on an earlier flight) are at LAX, waiting around for our flight. The SwissAir flight went very well, and we arrived in Zurich a bit early.

Switzerland seems like a lovely country! We all wished we could stay a day and tour, but unfortunately we were out of there two hours later for a quick hop over the Alps — what a stunning view from the airplane window! — and our arrival in Venice’s airport.

In the second photo, the students are waiting outside the Alilaguna water-bus stop; it was a long wait through sunset for the next bus, and we ended up getting into Venice after dark. Terry and MaryBeth met us at the Sant Angelo stop and guided us to our palazzo, where we ate the apples, cheese, and meats they’d bought that day as our late dinner.

It’s beautiful here, and I can’t wait to show the students the city in daylight tomorrow!

Here we are all decked out for a night of revelry. Unfortunately, class met on Ash Wednesday instead of Shrove Tuesday. Revelry was reduced to taking the midterm. Oh well, maybe the professors will plan their schedule with Mardi Gras in mind when they next offer Imagining Venice.