The House of Marco Ricci in the Bellunese

Art Historical Context

Marco Ricci's *The House of Marco Ricci the Bellunese*1726) offers an intimate glimpse into the artist's own world. Born in Belluno in 1676, Ricci, a prominent Venetian painter and nephew of the Baroque master Sebastiano Ricci, specialized in luminous landscapes, capricci, and theatrical vedute. This drawing depicts his family house nestled in the rugged Bellunese countryside of northeastern Italy, blending personal nostalgia with the region's dramatic terrain. Rendered in pen and brown ink with wash—a favored 18th-century technique for quick, evocative sketches—it captures houses, animals, and expansive landscapes, evoking the everyday poetry of rural life. The medium's subtlety shines here: fine pen lines delineate architecture and foliage with precision, while the brown wash builds atmospheric depth, mimicking the soft light of the Venetian school. At 14 9/16 x 19 1/2 inches, it's a masterful study, likely preparatory or an independent work showcasing Ricci's shift toward more intimate, site-specific views before his early death in 1730. Housed in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1975, it exemplifies the era's fascination with *veduta*—topographical views that bridged art and topography—influencing later masters like Canaletto. This piece invites visitors to ponder Ricci's roots, where the grandeur of Venice met the humble authenticity of his homeland, making it a treasured gem of 18th-century draftsmanship.

About the Artist

Marco Ricci · 1676–1730

Marco Ricci (1676–1730) was born on June 6 in Belluno, in the Republic of Venice, into a family steeped in artistic tradition as the nephew of the renowned Baroque painter Sebastiano Ricci. He received his first instruction in art from his uncle, likely during a period in Milan from 1694 to 1696, before accompanying Sebastiano to Venice in 1696, from which he soon fled amid personal troubles. Ricc...