Giovanni Soccol's nocturnal paintings of Venice's iconic architecture at Palazzo Fortuny

Palazzo Fortuny in Venice is hosting 'Giovanni Soccol. Riflessioni notturne,' an exhibition featuring ten large-scale new works by the Venetian artist. Soccol (b. 1938) focuses on timbric rather than tonal painting, depicting ten symbolic structures along the Grand Canal: Dogana de Mar, Chiesa di San Simeone, Madonna della Salute, Ca' Rezzonico, Ca' Vendramin Calergi, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, and Fondaco dei Turchi. He uses a mixed technique combining lean tempera with oil-resin glazes. Initially reluctant to paint well-known Venetian landmarks, Soccol was inspired by Cézanne's remark, 'I want to astonish Paris with an apple,' concluding that how one represents a subject matters more than the subject itself. His work avoids the sublime aspirations of Turner and the chromatic immersion of Monet, yet shares with Monet a focus on reflected images, dividing the canvas spatially so the upper half mirrors the lower. In 'Fondaco dei Turchi' (2021), the liquid element nearly overwhelms the architecture; in 'La Salute' (2023), the basilica's facade, refined and metaphysical, dominates against a dark background. The exhibition also includes preparatory studies in charcoal, graphite, and colored pencil. Soccol, a philosophy graduate with a thesis on Sartre, taught history and philosophy before becoming a school principal.