A Venetian palazzo painted by Claude Monet—with a riderless gondola floating in a fog of coolish hues—is up for sale via Christie’s International Real Estate. The location is on a premier stretch of the Grand Canal, and the price is “available upon request” (which did not meet with a response by press time).
Features include a boat ramp/boat dock, courtyard, terrace, and garden, and the provenance is rich: Near the end of the 15th century, the so-called Palazzo Dario was remodeled from an earlier Gothic palace to the liking of Giovanni Dario, a Venetian senate secretary and diplomat who negotiated a peace agreement and received money as a reward.
As the Christie’s listing reads: “The magnificent façade, decorated with circular polychrome marble inlays, is made of Pietra d’Istria, and reflects the oriental influence, acquired by Dario during his long travels in Egypt and Middle East, then translated in the Veneto taste with the help of the architect.” (The architect being Pietro Lombardo.)
Over time, Palazzo Dario has caught the eye of many a Venetian wanderer, including art critic John Rushkin and—as noted by Artnet News—Claude Monet, who painted it in 1908 on a canvas now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Below, see some choice photos from the Christie’s listing for the palazzo.
