Nerly in Venice Gondolas and Palaces 14.03. – 05.07.2026
Nerly in Venice: Gondolas and Palaces
For Friedrich Nerly, Venice was an unfailing source of motifs: the artist’s partial estate, which has been held by the Kunsthalle Bremen since 1953, includes numerous drawings that he created in his 41 years there – until his death in 1878, including brilliant impressions of Venetian windows, Gothic architecture, black gondolas and sailing ships at anchor. His two most famous motifs and, at the same time, his most successful paintings also date from this period: The Kunsthalle Bremen owns iconic paintings based on both motifs, The Column of St. Mark in Venice by Moonlight (1837) and Canale Grande with a View of Santa Maria della Salute (1838/39), which are presented in the exhibition alongside 50 works on paper.
‘Venice and always Venice, from all sides, large and small, in ancient and modern times,’ wrote Friedrich Nerly in 1845 about his everyday artistic life. At that point, he had already been living in the lagoon city for seven years, having previously resided in Rome. Through his marriage to a Venetian woman from a wealthy family, he had an excellent network of contacts. His centrally located studio in the Palazzo Pisani became a popular destination for many travellers. Nerly painted picturesque views, catering to the demands of tourists, who arrived in ever-increasing numbers. Among his most successful motifs were the Piazzetta and St. Mark's Column by moonlight, which he repeated over 30 times.
The cabinet exhibition ‘Nerly in Venice’ accompanies ‘Italian Landscape and Ancient Ruins. The Romantic Painter Friedrich Nerly in Rome’, which focuses on Nerly's early creative years in Rome from 1829 to 1835.
(Fig. exhibition overview: Friedrich Nerly, Venetion Gondola in front of Santa Maria della Salute, c. 1860 (Detail), drawing | Fig. top of page: Friedrich Nerly, Canale Grande with View of Santa Maria della Salute, 1838/39 (Detail), oil on canvas | both: Kunsthalle Bremen – Der Kunstverein in Bremen)
Supported by:
Download von Pressebildern mit besonderen Nutzungsbedingungen
Die von Ihnen angefragten Abbildungen unterliegen besonderen Nutzungsbedingungen und dürfen nur zur aktuellen redaktionellen und themengebundenen Berichterstattung unter Angabe der Bildcredits verwendet werden. Die Bilder dürfen nicht beschnitten und es darf kein Text o.ä. über die Bilder gelegt werden. Online dürfen die Bilder nur in einer Auflösung von 72dpi veröffentlicht werden. Die genauen Nutzungsbedingungen werden zusammen mit den Bildern heruntergeladen. Im Falle einer Veröffentlichung erklären Sie sich mit diesen Bedingungen einverstanden.
Für den Download benötigen Sie ein Passwort. Falls Sie noch keine Zugangsdaten besitzen, können Sie diese hier per Mail anfragen.
Vielen Dank für Ihre Anmeldung
Wir haben Ihren Mitgliedsantrag für den Kunstverein in Bremen erhalten. Vielen Dank! Den Mitgliedsausweis/die Mitgliedsausweise senden wir Ihnen innerhalb von 10 Tagen zu.
Ihr Kunstverein in Bremen
OK