The Annunciation, 1559-1564
Titian (1488/1490 - 1576)
Oil on canvas
160 in × 94 in
Church of San Salvador, Venice
[A translucent vase it at the bottom right-hand
corner of the painting]
Paolo Venini (1895–1959)
Vase, ca. 1930
Inspired by Titian's The Annuciation
The vase was first designed byVittorio Zecchin in 1921
And later re-designed by Paolo Venini in 1930
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Art Inspiring Art: Murano Glass
By Dylan Leavitt
Digital Production Coordinator for Antiques Roadshow
Article Printed In: The Antiques Roadshow Website
May 27, 2013
In Venice, a city known for its robust glassmaking history, the church of San Salvador is home to The Annunciation, an Italian Renaissance painting by Titian (1490-1576) depicting the scene when the Virgin Mary is told that she is carrying the child of God. Through contrasts of warm light, the scene primarily depicts icons of the divine. But in the lower right corner of the painting, viewers may just barely be able to spot a small translucent vessel — a vase that inspired glass designer Vittorio Zecchin in 1921.
During Antiques Roadshow's 2012 visit to Seattle, Washington, a similar vase was presented to glass expert Arlie Sulka. "My father was a security salesman," Roadshow guest Susan said, "and occasionally, some of his clients would give him a gift as a thank you for the work he was doing." Her family acquired the delicate aubergine piece in the 1970s, but she had always wondered whether it was true art glass.
As Sulka inspected the piece, it became clear to her that it was, in fact, a true piece of Venini Murano glass. Judging by a two-lined mark on the underside, coupled with the piece's imperfections, larger size, and color, Sulka was able to determine that the glass was made between 1925 and 1935 by a firm called Cappellin Venini in Murano, an island in the Venice Lagoon. It was also called a Veronese vase, after the Italian painter by that name. The vase was a signature piece designed in 1921 by Vittorio Zecchin, the first director of the firm, and was inspired by Titian's Annunciation.
Dating back to the 8th century, since well before the Renaissance, Venice has been renowned for its art glass. In 1291, the glassmaking center was moved to Murano. "There are two schools of thought as to why it got moved," Sulka explained. "One was that they were concerned that fire from the furnaces could burn down Venice ... [the other is] that the people in Venice wanted to keep all of the glassmaking localized ... so that they could keep their glassmaking secrets from leaking out."
No matter the reason why the center of Venetian glassmaking moved to Murano, the island became home to the firm of Cappelin Venini. Vittorio Zecchin had been a quite well-known graphic designer, painter, and glass designer. The Veronese vase uncovered in Seattle that he designed became a signature vase for Venini — in fact, the piece was recreated for Venini's 90th anniversary in smaller, more opaline versions.
Despite a few imperfections on the piece, Sulka appraised the Murano vase for a retail value between $3,000 and $4,000.
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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