The Light of Venice Antwerp, 1882. A child is born into a well-to-do family with German roots. The early years are marked by physical struggle; a malformation in the vertebrae leads to a retreat in Dessau, Germany. It is here, amidst medical treatment, that a teacher named Paul Riess notices a specific talent for drawing. This recognition sets a path toward the Kunstakademie Karlsruhe, where the young artist studies under Hans Thoma. The canvas begins to change during a tour of Italy in 1905. Venice enters the frame. The atmosphere of the canals and the particular quality of the Adriatic ligh…