Rosand Library & Study Center

The Rosand Library & Study Center at Save Venice offers a valuable research resource on art and culture in Venice. Its nucleus is the library of David Rosand (1938-2014), a pre-eminent professor of art history at Columbia University and valued Save Venice Board Member, who had an abiding love for Venice and her art. While the focus of the library is Venetian Studies, the collection of over 5,000 volumes reflects the breadth of Rosand’s interests, which range from Chinese calligraphy to Abstract Impressionism.

The RLSC is supplemented by Save Venice’s restoration files, which document more than four decades of conservation projects, as well as the photographic archives of restorations. Together, these form a resource center that mirrors Rosand’s passions in Venice: scholarship and restoration. A program of seminars, lectures, and workshops further fulfills Save Venice’s educational mission. In keeping with the spirit of scholarly generosity of the family whose name we bear, the Rosand Library & Study Center is available to anyone doing research in Venice.

The Rosand Library & Study Center was established in 2014 when David Rosand bequeathed his library to Save Venice with the stipulation that it be housed in Venice. Rosand began to build his library during his years as a graduate student in art history at Columbia. His collection now numbers four thousand volumes and includes a variety of rare books, along with offprints, dissertations, and journals. While the focus of the library is Venetian Studies, the collection reflects the breadth of Rosand’s interests, which range from Chinese calligraphy to Abstract Expressionism.

After six years of operation, the RLSC continues to flourish as a premier location in Venice for gathering scholars and students through events like Research & Restoration Roundtables, book presentations, lectures, and an ever-expanding collection of books and archival resources. We are grateful to our many supporters for their continued generosity in helping the RLSC advance as a center for the study of Venetian art.

All of the books in the Rosand Library are available for browsing but do not circulate. All of the collections and archives listed below are searchable through the online catalogue.

Main Library Collection
The Rosand Library boasts over five thousand volumes and also includes a substantial rare book collection dating to the 16^th century, periodicals and journals, as well as dissertations. The focus of the collection is Venetian Studies, but also includes other topics ranging from Chinese calligraphy to Abstract Expressionism, which reflect the breadth of David Rosand’s interests.

Rosand Archive
When David Rosand bequeathed his library to Save Venice, this also included a substantial part of his vast personal research archive. The Rosand Archive encompasses thousands of offprints, annotations, correspondence and research notes, drawings and photographs that are a valuable reflection of David’s multifaceted career as an art historian, teacher and mentor.

Highlights of the archive include material on great masters like Titian, Paolo Veronese, Giorgione, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Domenico Campagnola, Palma il Giovane, and Peter Paul Rubens.

The Rosand Archive was reorganized, rehoused and catalogued thanks to the efforts of Rosand Archival Fellow Mateusz Mayer. There are many treasures to be found in this collection and we invite scholars, restorers and students to consult our finding aid or online catalogue for more information during their next visit to the RLSC. All materials in the Rosand Archive may be consulted upon request.

Delmas Foundation Collection
In 2018 the Rosand Library gained a new collection of books, thanks to the The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, which generously donated its own collection to the RLSC. This rich assortment of hundreds of books represents recent Venetian scholarship from major academic publishers, many in art history, but also other related disciplines. All of the books in the Delmas Collection are searchable in our online catalogue.

Research & Restoration Roundtables
Monthly roundtable discussions focus on the latest restoration efforts of Save Venice and feature presentations and dialogue between conservators and art historians to further the RLSC’s mission of uniting scholarship and conservation. Sessions are in Italian unless otherwise noted.

Book Presentations and Lectures
Art historians and historians gather at the Rosand Library & Study Center to present their latest publications and scholarship pertaining to Venetian studies. Sessions are in either Italian or English.

Open Worksites (Cantiere Aperto)
Conservators and conservation enthusiasts gather on-site at an active Save Venice worksite to learn about efforts underway to safeguard the irreplaceable artistic treasures of Venice. Sessions are in Italian.

The Rosand Library & Study Center is located on the 3^rd floor of Palazzo Contarini Polignac at the Save Venice office in Venice. Anyone who wishes to use the library is required to complete a registration form and provide photo identification. All books in the Rosand Library are available for browsing but do not circulate.

Address
Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center
Palazzo Contarini Polignac
Dorsoduro 870
30123 Venice, Italy

To reserve your place or for more information please contact us at rlsc@savevenice.org or call +39 041 528 5247.

The name of every donor to the Rosand Library and Study Center will be inscribed in a Golden Book, in commemoration of their desire to perpetuate the legacy of learning that David Rosand embraced. Like the Golden Book known as the Libro d’Oro that recorded the names of Venetian noble dynasties, this volume will document your place in the Save Venice family. Your name will be inscribed by a calligrapher on a page size commensurate with your gift. The book will be displayed in the library reading room, an enduring record of the founding donors. Save Venice invites you to make a contribution to the Rosand Library and Study Center by completing the attached form. For additional information please call the New York office at 212.737.3141 or the Venice office at 39.041.528.5247.