Merchants and Magnificence: the Art of Venice’s Golden Age

This special interest event will transport you to Venice in its heyday: a city whose territories extended way beyond the lagoon with enormous wealth gained through maritime trade. The abundance of money made overseas provided the funds for beautifying the city.

The first talk explores the major architectural monuments of Venice. We begin in the 11^th century with the rebuilding of the iconic St Mark’s Basilica, and progress to the ornate 14^th century waterfront of the Doges’ Palace and on to the economic heart of Venice: the Rialto. What did these buildings communicate to their audiences about Venice, its self-identity and its place in the world?

The second talk takes us into the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries where our focus will shift to paintings and sculpture. We will join Carpaccio and some Venetian ladies on a balcony, enjoy a moment of tranquillity with Giovanni Bellini, be puzzled by Giorgione, bowled over by Titian’s Frari Altarpiece and moved by Tintoretto in the Scuola di San Rocco.

About: Dr Antonia Gatward Cevizli

Dr Antonia Gatward Cevizli is an independent art historian specialising in both Italian Renaissance art and Ottoman art. She gained her PhD from the University of Warwick. Her publications focus on cultural and diplomatic exchange between the Italian city-states and the Ottomans. Antonia has lectured for a number of institutions including Sabancı University, Istanbul; Sotheby’s Institute of Art; the National Gallery; the V&A Academy and The Courtauld summer school. Her interests are wide-ranging and she also worked across the collections of both Tate Modern and Tate Britain as a professional guide. She has lived in Siena, Venice and Istanbul.