The Bridge for the Feast of the Madonna della Salute

The Bridge for the Feast of the Madonna della Salute at the Wadsworth Atheneum depicts the temporary pontoon bridge erected annually across the Grand Canal for the Salute festival. This ceremony commemorated Venice's deliverance from the 1630 plague and was a major civic and religious event. Carlevarijs documented Venice in oil on canvas with architectural precision drawn partly from his own engravings, staffing his panoramic views with animated crowds of merchants, tourists, and gondoliers...

The temporary bridge provides an unusual compositional element spanning the canal. Carlevarijs captures the festive maritime activity and the architectural context of the annual celebration.