Corso Sant'Anastasia, Verona

Richard Parkes Bonington's Corso Sant'Anastasia, Verona of 1828 depicts one of the most beautiful medieval streets in northern Italy — the narrow lane beside the great Gothic church of Sant'Anastasia, lined with medieval palaces — with the architectural precision and atmospheric sensitivity that characterized his mature work. Bonington had visited northern Italy in 1826 and was profoundly affected by the quality of Italian light and the richness of medieval architectural heritage that Venice and Verona represented. The painting was completed in his final year before his death at twenty-six.

Bonington captures the warm Italian light on the medieval street with sparkling color and confident brushwork. The luminous rendering of sunlit stone and deep shadow demonstrates his extraordinary sensitivity to atmospheric light.