Q: I found this picture in my aunt's attic about 50 years ago. On the back it says, "Fotocromia M.S. 764, Marieschi Michele" and "Venezia Accademia, Fotocromo Italiano Firenze." It is painted on glass and the back is sprayed with silver paint. The frame is wood with gold stain or paint. Can you help me with this?

A: Michele Giovanni Marieschi (1710-1743) was an Italian landscape painter. Most of his paintings are of scenes in Venice. The Venezia Accademia was founded in Venice in 1750. Some of Marieschi's works are displayed there. You have a print based on one of Marieschi's paintings. The word "Fotocromo" refers to the process of printing. Photographic negatives were transferred onto lithographic stones, a process known in the United States as "photochrome." The method was developed in Switzerland in the 1880s and was a popular method of color printing. Fotocromo Italiano was founded in Florence (Firenze), Italy, in 1928. The company is still in business, but now uses modern printing methods. The frame and marbleized background of your picture suggest it dates from the 1950s-'60s.