North West Door in the Porch of St Mark's, Venice.

Inscribed: John W. Bunney 1871 Verso: North West Door in the Porch of St Mark's, Venice / John W Bunney Venice 1871

John Wharlton Bunney was a pupil in Ruskin’s drawing class at the Working Men’s College in the late 1850s, and from 1866 onwards worked in Italy. He received many commissions from Ruskin for depictions of architecture and sculpture, culminating in the large oil of St. Mark’s, Venice which is the centrepiece of the Guild of St George collection at Sheffield (Ruskin Gallery). According to Bunney’s records, this watercolour was not a commission, but was seen by Ruskin in the artist’s studio and bought for £40 on 25 June 1872. It is shown here in its original frame.

The door is from the porch of St. Mark’s leading into the Basilica; above the marble columns is a Byzantine mosaic of St. Peter, and the bottom of a mosaic depicting the story of Abraham is just shown. The view is into the north aisle, showing the Chapel of the Crucifix, with its pyramidal marble roof: this contains a painted wooden Crucifix said to have been brought from the East in 1205.