Festa della Sensa

About this artwork

Purchased with the support of the F.G. Waller-Fonds

Art Historical Context

**Festa della S** is a captivating etching by Giovanni Battista Brustoloni, a printmaker active in the 18th century, created in 1766. Measuring 449 × 568 mm, this large-scale print vividly captures the grandeur of Venice's annual *Festa della Sensa or Feast of the Ascension. This historic celebration commemorated the city's maritime dominion, featuring a ceremonial procession from St. Mark's Basilica to the Lido, where the doge traditionally cast a ring into the lagoon to symbolize Venice's "marriage to the sea." Brustoloni's work freezes this lively spectacle, likely showcasing bustling crowds, ornate gondolas, and festive pageantry amid the lagoon's shimmering waters. As an etching, the artwork exemplifies a prized 18th-century printmaking technique, where acid etches intricate lines into a metal plate for reproduction. This method allowed artists like Brustoloni—known for documenting Venetian life—to disseminate detailed views of ephemeral events to a wider audience, preserving the Republic's cultural splendor during its waning years. The etching's scale suggests a focus on atmospheric depth and fine details, hallmarks of Venetian vedute (view) traditions influenced by masters like Canaletto. Acquired with support from the F.G. Waller-Fonds, *Festa della Sensa* offers museum visitors a window into 18th-century Venice's ritualistic joy and artistic ingenuity, blending historical ritual with technical mastery.