Alessandro Zezzos

Venetian painter, born and living in Venice, distinguished watercolorist, but also a skilled artist of oil paintings. One of his beautiful watercolor paintings: “Le rondini”, exhibited in Turin in 1880, was very popular; and he revealed himself even more in Milan, in 1881, with the paintings: “Merchant of fans”; “Alla preaching”, a beautiful half figure of a girl; and with “Popolana”, a very characteristic canvas.

In 1883, he exhibited in Rome: “Lovers”, another important canvas, and in many paintings he wonderfully treated scenes from Venetian life. One of his watercolors: “Una calle”, excellent for its robustness of colors; he was greatly admired by the public, who praised the beautiful painting “Letter of love” at the Triennial Exhibition of Brera in 1891, and that: “A flight in 1700”.

Another commendable painting of his is the one representing: “The wharf of San Marco”. Strong and excellent colourist, and excellent draftsman, Zezzos has acquired a notable place among the main painters of the Venetian school, and this is how a critic speaks of him in the Cronaca di Belle Arti, of 1891: “He belongs to the group of the most remarkable paintings of the the first triennial was that of Alessandro Zezzos, of Venice: “A flight in 1700”.

The subject in this canvas is what one should least look for: a gondola runs away at night time for the lagoon, probably bringing two lovers to free loves. But the impression of the moonlight on the lagoon waters, the distant view of Venice is admirable; and it is from the observation felt by the environment, where the drama occurs, that the drama itself, in its pictorial form, emanates. This was also one of the paintings taken into consideration for the Principe Umberto prize