Born in the present-day Czech Republic, Antonietta Brandeis (1848–1926) specialized in the theme of realistic city views. She was mainly active in Venice, painting the beautiful monuments and sights of The Floating City, but she also captured the iconic views of cities like Florence and Rome. Her works are characterized by great attention to detail, combined with a colorful palette to capture the beauty and light of the architectural views she painted. The main part of her oeuvre consists of city views ranging from bustling city squares to peaceful views of the Venetian backwaters and their architecture. She captured the unique atmosphere of Italian cities in combination with a crisp rendering of their architecture. Our coffee table book Antonietta Brandeis – Memories from Venice and Beyond shows many of her beautiful works.
Antonietta Brandeis was born on January 13, 1848, in the village of Miškovice, Bohemia, some 35 miles (60 km) east of Prague. Back then, Miškovice was part of the Austrian Empire. Today, it is located in the Czech Republic. She received her first formal art education in Prague as a student of the history painter Karel Javůrek (1815–1909). Antonietta’s father died when she was still a child, and her mother moved to Venice after remarrying. In Venice, Brandeis got her art education at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts, and she quickly developed into a successful painter of city views.
The work of Brandeis' falls under the genre of vedute, which is Italian for 'views'. The vedute became popular during the periods of the Grand Tour, when wealthy foreigners traveled to Italy to admire its classical sites, picturesque vistas, unique atmosphere, and architectural splendor. The most popular Italian cities on this tour were Florence, Naples, Rome, and Venice, which were precisely the places that Brandeis and her colleagues captured most frequently in their vedute.
Brandeis lived most of her life in Venice, but after the death of her husband, she moved to Florence where she spend the last 17 years of her life. She continued to paint until her death in 1926 and left her inheritance to the Innocenti Institute, a large orphanage in Venice. More about her life and work can be found in our book.
Antonietta Brandeis was born on January 13, 1848, in the village of Miškovice, Bohemia, some 35 miles (60 km) east of Prague. Back then, Miškovice was part of the Austrian Empire. Today, it is located in the Czech Republic. She received her first formal art education in Prague as a student of the history painter Karel Javůrek (1815–1909). Antonietta’s father died when she was still a child, and her mother moved to Venice after remarrying. In Venice, Brandeis got her art education at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts, and she quickly developed into a successful painter of city views.
The work of Brandeis' falls under the genre of vedute, which is Italian for 'views'. The vedute became popular during the periods of the Grand Tour, when wealthy foreigners traveled to Italy to admire its classical sites, picturesque vistas, unique atmosphere, and architectural splendor. The most popular Italian cities on this tour were Florence, Naples, Rome, and Venice, which were precisely the places that Brandeis and her colleagues captured most frequently in their vedute.
Brandeis lived most of her life in Venice, but after the death of her husband, she moved to Florence where she spend the last 17 years of her life. She continued to paint until her death in 1926 and left her inheritance to the Innocenti Institute, a large orphanage in Venice. More about her life and work can be found in our book.
Santa Maria della Salute, Venice
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The Bridge of Sighs, Venice
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A View of San Marco's Square towards San Giorgio Maggiore
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A View of Florence
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