# Procession in the Courtyard of the Ducal Palace, Venice

**Antonio Joli** (Italian, c. 1700–1777)  
1742 or after  
oil on canvas  
overall: 160.7 x 221.6 cm (63 1/4 x 87 1/4 in.) framed: 181.3 x 240.7 cm (71 3/8 x 94 3/4 in.)

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1945.15.1. [The museum's record](https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.32586.html).

## About this work

Antonio Joli painted this in 1742 or after, aged 42. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

### What you’re looking at

This painting depicts a square seen from above, surrounded by elegant architectural structures. On the left side, there is a large building with a red-brown facade and arched white windows with columns. On the right, there is an ornate off-white structure with arches and detailed stonework. Both of these long buildings stretch from the sides of the painting towards the center, where they converge at a gray building with tall spires and large blue domes behind it. In the square there are countless people in colorful attire, wearing shades of pink, red, blue, green, yellow, black, and blue. There are men, women, and children, and those with visible faces all appear to have light skin. Some wear white masks with bird-like noses. On the right, there is a long line of people engaging in a procession or gathering. People also line the windows of the two buildings on either side of the square. The painting is incredibly detailed, capturing architectural elements and the bustling crowd. The color palette features earthy tones for the architecture and vibrant colors for the people, all set below a pale blue sky with a few white-and-gray clouds.

_Description from the National Gallery of Art._

### How it was made

- **Oil paint.** Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.

### [Antonio Joli](https://www.ochreeditions.com/artists/antonio-joli)

Italian, c. 1700–1777

## Facts

- Type: Painting
- The artist was 42
- Real size: about 63 × 87 in (161 × 222 cm). The original is larger than our largest print, 20 × 30 in, so every print is a reduction.
- Century: 18th century
- Subjects: exterior, Venice, Urban scene, Palazzo Ducale
- Colour: brown
- Rights: public domain (CC0 1.0); free to use for any purpose.

## Get it

- Free download, full resolution: https://img.ochreeditions.com/m/1468.jpg?dl=1
- Image: https://img.ochreeditions.com/a/1468/1920.jpg
- Giclée reproduction on Hahnemühle Photo Rag: 8 × 10 in $28; 11 × 14 in $38; 12 × 16 in $42; 16 × 20 in $56; 18 × 24 in $68; 20 × 30 in $86
- Framed reproduction: 8 × 10 in $78; 11 × 14 in $98; 12 × 16 in $108; 16 × 20 in $138; 18 × 24 in $164; 20 × 30 in $208
- Canvas reproduction: 8 × 10 in $58; 11 × 14 in $72; 12 × 16 in $79; 16 × 20 in $98; 18 × 24 in $118
- Print-ready file: 8 × 10 in $2; 11 × 14 in $2; 12 × 16 in $3; 16 × 20 in $3; 18 × 24 in $3; 20 × 30 in $5

Sizes stop where the museum's file would print below 150 pixels per inch. Everything sold is a reproduction, made to order. [Order a print](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/procession-in-the-courtyard-of-the-ducal-palace-venice-nga-32586).