Spectacular light with radiating splashes of orange and pink tones in the sky cast a bright illumination over a serene Venetian afternoon on the Grand Canal. The majesty of the Santa Maria della Salute rises as the backstop to several gondoliers going about their daily business. Two ladies enjoy the leisurely pace of the foremost gondolier, all captured with the brushes and artistic vision of Franz Unterberger.
Unterberger layers levels of detail over the vast expanse of waterway, with graduated reflections visually echoing his subjects. Numerous ships are at a distance, from a large, anchored schooner yacht, Mediterranean local vessels with their bright patterned sails, and the multitude of gondolas, all with targeted destinations. The two domes and two bell towers of the Salute rise over the main octagon constructed to honor the Virgin Mary forward from the 1630s. Consecrated in 1681, it was built primarily of Istrian stone and bricks coated with marble dust, set on top of 1 million wooden constructed palettes; the most recognized landmark of the Italian City-State. Two other church domes are in view. Unterberger frequently traveled to Venice for more than 30 years, and painted its beautiful settings to perfection.
