"Forty winks". One of several strange English expressions for a short sleep; a nap, a kip, a snooze; otherwise known as the 'siesta' in Spanish or 'pisolino' in Italian. Looking through the archive, I've noticed several images appear of people in a state of slumber.
So, here's a small selection of images taken between 2014 and 2025 of people grabbing their '40 winks' wherever and whenever they can, in and around Venice.
AP.
Especially in monochrome, Venice appears timeless. And although it is an over-expressed clichè, it is still something that attracts me about the city. Places change, people come and go, the fabric of society ever evolves, yet, in hidden corners of Venice, time appears to stand still. This is particularly true around the neighbour of Castello, where the tradition of hanging the washing (il bucato) across the streets provides a draw for tourists and photographers. The shot below exemplifies this.
Il Bucato, Castello, 2025
Taken in 2025, it could equally pass for 1925. We have a man (I like to think a local, who has grown up on these streets) strolling the calli whilst the white washing hangs out above him. Both elements providing their own little narrative of life in these apartments and how, despite the advances of technology, the traditional ways are very often the best.
To buy photographic prints from the complete Monochrome Venice archive, please send a request through my prints page...
...or send me an email: andy@monochromevenice.com
Thanks!
AP
I'm very pleased to announce a new exhibition for 2025. Entitled 'Venice Street Geometry' it features work that focuses on the forms, shapes and textures on the streets of Venice, with the passage of light and shadow.
Held at the Kunst Depot exhibition space in Cannaregio, Venice, it opens on 22 February with the inauguration at 17.30 and runs daily until the 14th March 2025. Find us here:
Featuring over 30 prints from the Monochrome Venice collection, the exhibition is a personal view of Venice, with images that sit somewhere between realism, abstraction and surrealism. For more information, follow on social media for updates or contact me directly: andy@monochromevenice.com
Prints from the exhibition and an exhibition catalogue will be available to buy, so please get in touch if you are interested and I look forward to seeing you there!!|. AP.
