IN HIS FIRST VISIT IN 1818, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley would swoon at the sights of Venice, celebrating its enchanting beauty and declaring “its temples and palaces did seem like fabrics of enchantment piled to heaven.” Although the city’s status as a pre-eminent maritime trading power had dwindled by the 18th century, Venice remained fertile ground for artists, retaining its unassailable position as one of the great European cultural capitals.
London’s Courtauld Gallery is now staging a new exhibition showcasing around 20 pivotal drawings, all capturing the dynamic creativity of the city in this era. The show’s curator Ketty Gottardo
