Gabriele Bella
1730–1799 · Italian Baroque painter active around Venice
Gabriele Bella (1730-1799) was an Italian Baroque painter who worked in and around Venice. Little is known about his life beyond what his works reveal, so his paintings remain the main source for understanding his career. He concentrated mainly on buildings and the everyday life of the city and its surroundings.
Bella's painting focuses largely on architecture and scenes of Venetian society. Among his works is Doge's Funeral in the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, dated 1750, which reflects his interest in the public ceremonies of the Venetian Republic. Sixty-seven of his canvases are held in the collections of the Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia in Venice.
Although his name appears less often than those of some other Venetian painters of his time, his work documents the life and spaces of the city in the eighteenth century in considerable detail. For this reason, his canvases are a useful visual record for historians of architecture and urban life.
Works (1)
Painting by Gabriele Bella dated 1750, executed in oil on canvas and held at the Querini Stampalia Art Gallery. It shows a doge's funeral staged in the basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, one of Venice's major churches. Without further sources at hand, it is best to describe cautiously what the painting depicts and avoid assumptions about the deceased or the specific event.
Where to see the work
- Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia Venice · 1