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Rating: 
Summary: A UNIQUE VIEW OF AN UNPARALLELED CITY
Review: Venice, Italy, surely one of the most vaunted cities on our planet has again been exalted in this folio-size volume of unforgettable photographs. The poet Byron remembered Venice as he stood on the Bridge of Sighs, "A palace and a prison on each hand." Another bard, Shelley, described it as "Ocean's nursling......A peopled labyrinth of walls, Amphitrite's destined halls." More contemporaneous writers may link Venice with Harry's Bar, a watering hole for the wealthy, or perhaps with the legions of pigeons that shroud St. Mark's Square. Now, German photo-designer Gunter Derleth captures Vicenza with unerring eye and unique vision in photos remarkable for their quality of light. This effect is achieved by the camera obscura, which is "basically a box with a very small hole in it.....Light comes through the hole and is placed directly onto the paper." The results in this volume are dreamlike, sometimes almost surreal but always beautiful. Derleth opens with fog cloaked figures from Carnevale, the celebration that calls for Venetians to dress in elaborate costumes and masks. We find the facade of Florian's, a restaurant bordering St. Mark's Square recognizable by its battery of miniature tables and decorative chairs. Whether a view across the Grand Canal of the glorious island of San Giorgio Maggiore or a simple apartment building, each photo embraces both the beauty and mystery of Venice. Brief accompanying texts are excised from the works of great writers who were entranced by the city. Each amplifies and underscores its partner photo. Italophiles will relish this lush volume, and photography buffs admire Gunter Derleth's art. Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: A UNIQUE VIEW OF AN UNPARALLELED CITY
Review: Venice, Italy, surely one of the most vaunted cities on our planet has again been exalted in this folio-size volume of unforgettable photographs. The poet Byron remembered Venice as he stood on the Bridge of Sighs, "A palace and a prison on each hand." Another bard, Shelley, described it as "Ocean's nursling......A peopled labyrinth of walls, Amphitrite's destined halls." More contemporaneous writers may link Venice with Harry's Bar, a watering hole for the wealthy, or perhaps with the legions of pigeons that shroud St. Mark's Square. Now, German photo-designer Gunter Derleth captures Vicenza with unerring eye and unique vision in photos remarkable for their quality of light. This effect is achieved by the camera obscura, which is "basically a box with a very small hole in it.....Light comes through the hole and is placed directly onto the paper." The results in this volume are dreamlike, sometimes almost surreal but always beautiful. Derleth opens with fog cloaked figures from Carnevale, the celebration that calls for Venetians to dress in elaborate costumes and masks. We find the facade of Florian's, a restaurant bordering St. Mark's Square recognizable by its battery of miniature tables and decorative chairs. Whether a view across the Grand Canal of the glorious island of San Giorgio Maggiore or a simple apartment building, each photo embraces both the beauty and mystery of Venice. Brief accompanying texts are excised from the works of great writers who were entranced by the city. Each amplifies and underscores its partner photo. Italophiles will relish this lush volume, and photography buffs admire Gunter Derleth's art. Gail Cooke
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