Caffè Florian, Venice before the Crowds

I look to nature and my travels through Europe, USA and Asia for inspirations for my paintings. ‘Caffè Florian, Venice before the Crowds’ began as a plein air study during my painting trip to Venice in Italy.
Established in 1720, Venice's Caffè Florian is considered the oldest Coffeehouse in Italy, and in the world. Its windows have silently witnessed some incredible history unfold inside and outside. This timeless Institution has been serving coffee on a silver tray with a water chaser and a cookie to locals and visitors of the lagoon city for three centuries and is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2020.
The Coffeehouse feels like a jewel box with a series of intimate ornate gilded Neo-Baroque Salons and history continues to live in these beautifully decorated gem-like rooms which are in different styles, each oozing Venetian and historic grandeur. The Salon in this piece is known as Sala degli Specchi (Hall of Mirrors). The exuberantly frescoed ceilings and walls of this room is punctuated with giant gilt-framed, hand-painted mirrors patinaed by age, antique crystal lights, historic paintings, red velvet banquettes, sumptuous wooden wainscoting and marble-topped tables. The Waitstaff here is very friendly and professional, and were so kind to allow me to spend quality time sketching the legendary Café before the arrival of crowds.