Venice: Night of the Festival of the Redeemer

• Henri-Edmond Cross (1856–1910)
• 1903
• Watercolor over pencil on white wove paper
• Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
• (1975.1.597)

In the summer of 1903, Henri-Edmond Cross traveled to Venice, where he captured the climax of the Festival of the Redeemer, a celebration marking the end of the sixteenth century plague with fireworks over the canals. Beyond a woman seated at a table, the dome of St. Mark’s Basilica— the city’s great symbol—rises above the spectacle of colorful fireworks reflected in the water as two gondolas glide forward. Brilliant yellow bursts light up the night sky, while curling blue strokes across the rippling surface suggest shimmering reflections, filling the canvas with a fantastical glow.