Apollonio Facchinetti, known as "Domenichini", active 1740 - 1770

CANAL GRANDE FROM PALAZZO MORO LIN AND THE CA'FOSCARI WITH A VIEW OF THE CHURCH DELLA CARITÀ
Oil on canvas. Doubled.
42 x 63 cm.
In gilded frame with foliage in relief.

Accompanied by an expertise by Dario Succi, Gorizia, in copy.

The view leads from the middle of the Grand Canal, with the rows of buildings lining the sides - towards the slight bend at the back, with a view of the façade of the Church della Carità, which was still High Gothic at the time the painting was created. The row of houses on the left is in the afternoon light, while the one on the right shows shaded façades alternating with brightly lit corners. The dark, shimmering canal water is busy with barges, sailing ships and gondolas, with a rich staffage of figures. Information about the painter was very scarce for a long time. The name Domenichini is mentioned in the Venetian painters' guild Fraglia in 1757. Based on comparisons of styles and archival sources, however, an overall picture of the painter's work has emerged. Lino Moretti established the year of birth as 1715. Based on a document from August 1702, he was able to establish that the actual family name was Facchinetti. The source mentions the father, also a painter, by both names. It is assumed that Facchinetti studied under Luca Carlevarij (1663/65-1729/31), but went into business for himself around 1740. Architectural details in the vedutas also allow his group of works to be dated to around 1744. The only datable work by Facchinetti is a view of a novel from 1746. The vedutas of the Langmatt Foundation (Switzerland) were shown in an exhibition in 1994, with a catalog by Gertrude Borghero. In addition, Dario Succi has linked Facchinetti's work to later painters who may have been influenced by Facchinetti, such as Michele Marieschi (1710-43), Francesco Albotto (1721-1757) and Francesco Tironi (1745-1797).

Attention was first drawn to the aforementioned painter in 1994, when 13 paintings in the collection of the Langmatt Foundation in Baden-Baden were recognized as obviously by the same painter. The identification as Apollonio Facchinetti was achieved by uncovering an artist's name on the reverse of one of the works.

Literature:
Cf. Gertrude Borghero (ed.), Mythos Venedig. Venetian Vedute of the 18th Century, Milan 1994.
Cf. Federica Spadotto, Io sono '700. L'anima di Venezia tra pittori, mercanti e bottegheri da quadri, Sommacampagna 2018.
Cf. Dario Succi, Apollonio Domenichini. il Maestro della Fondazione Langmatt, in: Da Canaletto a Zuccarelli, exhibition catalog, Udine 2003, pp. 103-107. (1411052) (13)



Apollonio Facchinetti,
also known as "Domenichini",
active 1740 - 1770

VIEW OF VENICE WITH GRAND CANAL FROM THE PALAZZO MORO LIN AND THE CA' FOSCARI WITH A VIEW OF THE CHURCH SANTA MARIA DELLA CARITÀ

Oil on canvas. Relined.
42 x 63 cm.

Accompanied by an expert's report by Dario Succi, Gorizia, in copy.

The view is directed from the center of the Grand Canal, with rows of buildings lining the banks, to a slight bend in the background, with a view of the façade of the Church Santa Maria della Carità, still in High Gothic style at the time the painting was created. (†)