Lot 2529 Dα

Following his training under artists in his home town of Belluno, and later under his cousin Pietro Paoletto in Padua, Caffi was enrolled at the Academy in Venice from 1827 to 1829. He settled in Rome in 1832 and from there he embarked upon sojourns to other cities throughout Italy, as well as to the Orient. He returned to Venice in 1858 and it was here that he created works which are arguably some of the most beautiful vedutas of the 19th century. Ippolito was later involved in the Italian Wars of Independence and enlisted with the troops under Garibaldi. Alongside painting city views in the manner of Canaletto he was also active as a military painter. Unlike the calm vedutas of the Settecento, Caffi's city views are enriched with spectacular lighting effects. For example in this work, the light of the full moon and that of the various bonfires almost seem to compete with each other in the atmospheric illumination of the scene.