The Grand Canal, autumn 2006.
Is it just me or is everything coming up Venice?
During a trip to Madison this fall, I spent time admiring the Museum of Contemporary Art. An exhibit by printmaker Warrington Colescott especially intrigued me.
Colescott traveled to Venice in 1970 to retrace the novella Death in Venice. He created a livre d’artiste, or portfolio of original works, as a personal response to the 1912 book by Thomas Mann. Colescott’s vivid etchings and prints depict an eerie network of Venetian waterways and lurid faces.
After leaving the museum, I picked up a copy of Death in Venice
Perhaps I already had Venice on my mind, but this photograph caught my eye just last week at the Art Institute’s pictorialism exhibit. It captures Venice as seen from Lido, the sandbar outside of the city where much of Mann’s story takes place. I imagine this view is similar to what Mann’s main character, Aschenbach, would have seen from his hotel on the Lido.
Have you ever traveled as a vehicle for self-discovery? Where do you head for the fabulously different?
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
