Carlo Naya (Tronzano Vercellese, Vercelli 1816 - Venice 1882) heir to a rich landowner after graduating in law, as an art lover he made a grand tour of Europe, Asia, Egypt. He discovered photography in Paris and opened a studio in Constantinople, but in 1857 he was in Venice where he worked in Carlo Ponti's atelier, then in his own ateliers in St. Mark's Square and Campo San Maurizio and in the store at the Procuratie, which achieved great commercial success and appreciations for the technical and aesthetic quality of his works. A famous “forgery” trial he won against some colleagues who sold his photographs as their own gave birth to copyright law.

Two elements characterise Carlo Naya’s style: the cultural background stemming from his passion for art, refined by his direct observation of ancient works – including the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, which he would go on to reproduce magnificently – and the technical mastery he had already acquired in the days of the daguerreotype, which enabled him to quickly establish himself internationally for his exquisitely detailed views of Venice. Whilst other photographers often confined themselves to a specific perspective, Naya stood out for his attention to detail, as in this image which highlights a corner of the Doge’s Palace, emphasising its forms and features. This large-format volume is a true gem, notable on the one hand for its meticulous investigation, which sheds light on a facet of the lagoon city often overlooked by both residents and, above all, tourists, and on the other for the consistently superb quality of the photographs. It is a work that lies halfway between a meticulous topographical survey and the pursuit of a consistent artistic vision.