A captivating Venetian painting of the Punta Della Dogana towards the Giudecca by Francis Moltino. The view looks across the entrance to the Grand Canal with the iconic Punta Della Dogana to the centre right and the church of the San Giorgio Maggiore to the far left. In the foreground, a gondolier glides across the water towards Venetian al terzo boats with their colourful sails.

Francis or Frank Moltino was a marine painter born in Milan, Italy around 1818. By the early 1840’s, he had moved to England where he married and had several children. One of his daughters, Frances Moltino, also became an artist. The family initially lived in the Tower Hamlet area of London before moving to 5 Little Russell Street, from where he began exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1848. Works at the RA include ‘Early Morning – Waiting for the Tide’, ‘View of the Thames’, ‘ Battersea Old Mill’, and ‘Morning on Burgh Flats’.

As well as painting views of the Thames he also travelled around the coast of England. Later on, he visited Venice and produced a number of works of the famous city, returning to England by 1880, where he lived at 13 Rush Hill Terrace, Lavender Hill, Battersea. He died at 31 Fitzwilliam-road, Clapham on 15 April 1888.

Moltino’s works have a continental feel and with his brushwork and pastel coloured palette, his style is often compared with Turner. Many of his subjects featured busy harbour views such as this fine example. Examples of his paintings can be found at the Guildhall Art Gallery and the Cooper Gallery, Barnsley.

© Benton Fine Art