Venetian fruit stall

The wide, horizontal format of this painting draws our attention to the bountiful display of fruit and vegetables in the foreground. The view is from the west, looking across the Giudecca Canal to the Palladian church of San Giorgio Maggiore in the distance. But more than a straightforward topographic view, the picture is ostensibly a genre painting. Venetian scenes depicting the inhabitants of the city along with colourful incidental details became increasingly popular over the course of the 19th century. The artist, George Charles Haité, was largely self-taught, and also worked as a designer of wallpaper, metalwork and glass, and as an illustrator.