A very fine view of St. Mark’s Square in Venice comes to life in the foreground with gondolas navigating the waters of St. Mark’s Basin, filled with passengers and gondoliers focused on their tasks. On the left, the elegant façade of the Libreria Marciana is visible, while the imposing Campanile di San Marco stands tall in the center. To the right, the Gothic structure of the Doge’s Palace, characterized by its distinct colonnade and rhombus-patterned Istrian stone, dominates the scene. The two columns of the Piazzetta frame the composition, one supporting the Winged Lion, symbol of the Serenissima, and the other topped by a statue of St. Theodore. In the background, St. Mark’s Basilica with its domes is partially visible, amid a cityscape rich with bell towers and architecture that reflects the charm and vitality of mid-19th century Venice. This lithograph, likely created by Marco Moro and published around 1850, features beautiful period gouache coloring with tempera margins. It shows signs of age, including traces of old framing and some tearing at the edges.
Marco Moro (1817-1885) After showing a marked inclination for drawing from a young age, he moved to Venice, where he trained as a painter and lithographer, quickly making a name for himself thanks to his mastery of printing techniques and his ability to render views of the lagoon city with precision and sensitivity. Throughout his career, Moro produced numerous vedute, book illustrations and prints of various kinds, distinguishing himself by his skillful use of color and his ability to capture the atmosphere of the Serenissima. His prolific activity extended to different areas of the Veneto and beyond, with the creation of albums dedicated to Trieste, Padua, Venice, Vicenza, Treviso, Mantua and the Feltrino area. He was also appreciated by intellectuals such as Ippolito Nievo, who in an 1857 letter expressed his intention, later unrealized, to use Moro’s drawings to illustrate one of his novellas. The artist died in Venice on February 25, 1885, leaving a vast production of views, news scenes and loose plates, now preserved in numerous museums and private collections.
