Attributed to the workshop of Francesco Fontebasso, Italian 1707-1769- Allegory of Venice enthroned; oil on canvas, 90 x 125 cm. Provenance: Property from a European Private Collection. Note: The present scene appears to depict the personification of Venice, seated on a golden throne and bedecked with jewels and silks, being offered gifts by a number of supplicants. These figures are dressed variously in European armour and apparently eastern costume, which may refer to the riches which Venice had accumulated through its crucial role in international trade. The figure in to the far right of the composition wears what appears to be a feather headdress, and may represent the Americas. The composition and technique of the present work is characteristic of Fontebasso's work, particularly in the Classical architectural elements, and in the free, loose handling of paint to evoke the rich, vibrant fabrics which adorn the scene. This approach is also evident in Fontebasso's depiction of 'Esther fainting before King Ahasuerus' in the collection of the National Trust at Hinton Ampner [1530075], and in his painting of 'The family of Darius before Alexander' in the Dallas Museum of Art [1964.110].