# The Ridotto in Venice

[View the canonical artwork record](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/the-ridotto-in-venice-r0f7f5cfaa2cb2d>)

## Artwork

- Artist: [LONGHI, Pietro](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc>)
- Date: 1701-1750
- Technique: Oil on canvas, 84 x 115 cm

## Commentary

The scene takes place in the salone centrale of a ridotto in Venice, probably that of Palazzo Dandolo at San Moise. The ridotti were public spaces, usually located close to theaters, where the wealthy upper classes would mingle with the populace and engage in the principal activity of these locations - gambling. Since most visitors wore masks at the ridotto, it became the obvious location for conspiratorial plots and illicit amorous encounters, thus fuelling the imagination of artists in 18th-century Venice: Longhi, Guardi and Tiepolo all painted numerous scenes of the ridotti and Casanova and Goldoni&#39;s writings were both appreciated and inspired by these surroundings. Longhi&#39;s composition relies heavily on an earlier &lt;A onclick=&#34;return OpenOther\(&#39;/html/g/guardi/francesc/1/guard101.html&#39;\)&#34; HREF=&#34;/html/g/guardi/francesc/1/guard101.html&#34;&gt;prototype by Francesco Guardi&lt;/A&gt; today at Ca&#39; Rezzonico. &lt;P&gt; &lt;TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR=&#34;\#99CCCC&#34;&gt; &lt;TR VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt;&lt;TD&gt;&lt;IMG SRC=&#34;/support/gif/listen.gif&#34; BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt; Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 12 minutes\):&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A HREF=&#34;\#&#34; onClick=&#34;w=window.open \(&#39;/music1/18\_cent/marcello\_oboe.html&#39;, &#39;newWin&#39;, &#39;scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350&#39;\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true&#34;&gt;&lt;B&gt;Benedetto Marcello: Oboe concerto in D minor&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;

## Related artworks

- [A Theatrical Scene](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/a-theatrical-scene-ra9853c9bc519b8>)
- [An Interior](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/an-interior-refb10c11472a25>)
- [Arriving for the Hunt](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/arriving-for-the-hunt-r0a3cc33304e979>)
- [Duck Hunters on the Lagoon](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/duck-hunters-on-the-lagoon-r73f61b10d3d3f3>)
- [Fall of the Giants \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/fall-of-the-giants-detail-r1b978cff2232e2>)
- [Fall of the Giants \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/fall-of-the-giants-detail-r26a44b627f21e8>)
- [Fall of the Giants \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/fall-of-the-giants-detail-r7285fe46718601>)
- [Fall of the Giants \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/fall-of-the-giants-detail-rabc5e2842c11f4>)
- [Fall of the Giants](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/fall-of-the-giants-r801ab0933f8587>)
- [Fall of the Giants](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/fall-of-the-giants-rd74e08e22c1747>)
- [Il Ridotto](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/il-ridotto-r16a16faca9a2b9>)
- [Lute Player](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/longhi-pietro-r6126aa7daf23cc/lute-player-r9308d2fed1f91e>)

## Attribution

[Web Gallery of Art](<https://beta.wga.hu/pages/about>)