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Italy: 15th century

Beginner’s guide: Venice in the 15th century

Venice is a cluster of islands, connected by bridges and canals.

1400 - 1500

Venice was a very wealthy city, with a strong merchant class that helped shape its culture. Ships from the East brought luxurious, exotic pigments, while traders from Northern Europe imported the new technique of oil painting. Since oil dries slowly, the colors could be blended together to achieve subtle gradations.

Venetian art, an introduction

Venetian art, an introduction

By Dr. Heather Horton

Venice’s watery streets inspired generations of painters, while its port supplied them with pigments and oils.

Oil paint in Venice

Oil paint in Venice

By Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker

Their island climate didn’t suit fresco, so the Venetians tried oils instead—these paints blend when wet.

Ca’ d’Oro

By Dr. Ellen Hurst

This palace no longer shimmers with gold, but its harmonious balconies and bright colors still attract the eye.

Palazzo Ducale

By Dr. Ellen Hurst

How’s that for a first impression? Open to the lagoon, this eclectic palace greets visitors with a rhythmic front.

Devotional confraternities (scuole)

Devotional confraternities (scuole) in Renaissance Venice

By Dr. Lorenza Smith

Brotherhoods lent stability to religious and civic life. These wealthy institutions also commissioned paintings.

Saving Venice

By Dr. Steven Zucker, Lisa Ackerman

10 inches—that’s how far Venice has sunk. As sea levels and tourism rise, can this historic city survive?