Giovanni Grubacs (Venice 1829 - Pula 1919) CELEBRATIONS FOR THE ANNEXATION OF VENETO TO ITALY oil on canvas, 56x77 cm signed lower left CELEBRATION OF THE ANNEXATION OF VENETO BY ITALY oil on canvas, 56x77 cm signed lower left The son of Carlo Grubacs, Giovanni followed in his father's footsteps to become one of the best witnesses of the development of 19th-century lagoon vedutismo (landscape painting), of which he never renounced to faithfully depict the surrounding reality, as can be seen in the work presented in the catalogue, a testimony of the Venetian people's welcome to Victor Emmanuel II during his stay in Venice from 7 to 12 November 1866. The festive crowd welcomes the king by displaying the tricolour at the windows of all the palaces, while boats quickly follow the royal procession where the Italian flag flies. The procession is immortalised at the moment when the royal boat, arriving from the Grand Canal, takes the canal towards the Ponte delle Guglie, leaving the church of Santa Lucia on the left and Palazzo Emo on the right. This work, like the nocturne in the catalogue, is signed 'Giov. Grubacs'.