54 - BERRIAT, Pierre (1866–1923)

BERRIAT, Pierre (1866–1923) Venice, La Salute. Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. (minor losses and craquelure) 38 x 55 cm (frame: 45 x 61 cm) Note: Born in Aix-en-Provence in 1866, Pierre Berriat (1866–1923) belonged to the generation of Provençal landscape painters active during the Belle Époque. A painter as well as an art critic, he published a book in 1898 devoted to the Aix Salon and the artistic life of his time. His work reflects an interest in Mediterranean landscapes, particularly Marseille, the French Riviera, and Venice. This view of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute is part of a long tradition of Venetian painting exemplified in the 19th century by Félix Ziem, who made this monument—which dominates the entrance to the Grand Canal—one of his favorite subjects. A composition by Ziem titled *Venice, the Salute. Morning Effect* is housed at the Petit Palais in Paris.