Subject
Query: painting reference in The Gift]
From
Date
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Since I am writing a doctorate on the theme of art in Proust's and
Nabokov 's works, I try to track all references to existing paintings in
Nabokov's novels. One reference remains peculiarly obscure to me and I
wish someone could help me in finding out which -if any- painting
Nabokov
refered to. The painting occurs on page 110 of the Penguin paperback
edition : "Among the old tranquil, velvet-framed family photographs in
my
father's study, there hung a copy of the picture Marco Polo leaving
Venice.
She was rosy, this Venice, and the water of her lagoon was azure, with
swans twice the size of boats, into one of which tiny violet men were
descending by way of a plan, in order to board a ship which was waiting
a
little way off with sails furled (...)"
This description seems almost to accurate to be a sole product of VN's
invention. However, I have been unable in my first research among the
works of Venitian painters such as Tintoretto, Tiepolo or Carpaccio to
trace a painting correspondingto this depiction. Should anyone hae an
idea of the source of this painting, I would be glad to hear it.
Thank you in advance
Best regards
Since I am writing a doctorate on the theme of art in Proust's and
Nabokov 's works, I try to track all references to existing paintings in
Nabokov's novels. One reference remains peculiarly obscure to me and I
wish someone could help me in finding out which -if any- painting
Nabokov
refered to. The painting occurs on page 110 of the Penguin paperback
edition : "Among the old tranquil, velvet-framed family photographs in
my
father's study, there hung a copy of the picture Marco Polo leaving
Venice.
She was rosy, this Venice, and the water of her lagoon was azure, with
swans twice the size of boats, into one of which tiny violet men were
descending by way of a plan, in order to board a ship which was waiting
a
little way off with sails furled (...)"
This description seems almost to accurate to be a sole product of VN's
invention. However, I have been unable in my first research among the
works of Venitian painters such as Tintoretto, Tiepolo or Carpaccio to
trace a painting correspondingto this depiction. Should anyone hae an
idea of the source of this painting, I would be glad to hear it.
Thank you in advance
Best regards