“Canal Grande with San Geremia” Otto E. Pippel signed

The German painter Otto Eduard Pippel (1878 – 1960) was one of the most important late impressionists in southern Germany. A stay in Paris in 1908, where he encountered the French Impressionists, had a lasting influence on the young artist. Following this meaningful journey, he painted a wide variety of landscapes, still lifes and city vedute in a perfectly impressionist manner, including various views of Venice.

In this case, it is the church of San Geremia, which Otto Pippel captures as seen from the Grand Canal. The imposing complex with its striking dome and romanic Campanile is located right at the confluence of the Canal Cannaregio and the Canal Grande. This topographical peculiarity is particularly distinguishable on the right-hand side of the picture.

The composition gives the impression that the artist is heading towards the church in a boat, with his view entirely focused on the shimmering water surface and the sunlit church building. Moving water, luminous architecture, flowing air, these are the ingredients of this painting. He captures them with a dynamic brushstroke and pastose application, the colour palette reduced mainly to yellow and blue tones. The rough texture of the canvas further underlines the movement and the impressionistically ephemeral, whether in the waves or in the flow of the air.

With the sun-drenched veduta of San Geremia, Pippel succeeds in creating a friendly detailed view of the lagoon city, thus living up to his reputation as a late Impressionist painter.