LONGHI, Pietro
(b. 1702, Venezia, d. 1785, Venezia)

Duck Hunters on the Lagoon

c. 1760
Oil on canvas
Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia, Venice

The canvas is very concentrated and intense in the way it shows the nobleman's sport. In the prow of a boat rowed by four rugged oarsmen, the powdered gentleman bends his bow to shoot terracotta pellets contained in the basket at his feet (a suitably quiet form of shooting for the Lagoon). The diffused light and infinite horizon of the lagoon are unique in Longhi's oeuvre, it suggests the influence of Francesco Guardi.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 9 minutes):
Joseph Haydn: The Seasons, Part 3 Autumn, aria and chorus (Hunters' chorus)