Here's why:
* Environmental Threats: Venice faces serious threats from rising sea levels, climate change, and the constant erosion of its foundations. Hughes used his signature style, which creates a sense of instability and impending collapse, to highlight this vulnerability.
* Tourism and Urbanization: Venice, a popular tourist destination, experiences constant pressure from overtourism and rapid urbanization. Hughes' painting suggests a city overwhelmed by its own success, with its unique character being overshadowed by the forces of modernity.
* Sense of Loss: The painting evokes a sense of loss and nostalgia for the past. The fading buildings and shimmering water suggest a city on the verge of disappearing, a reminder of the preciousness of cultural heritage and the need to protect it.
* Distortion and Illusion: Hughes' Reverse Perspective technique further amplifies the feeling of instability and fragility. The distorted perspectives create an unsettling effect, suggesting that Venice's physical reality is crumbling under the weight of external pressures.
By combining his artistic style with the subject of Venice, Patrick Hughes aimed to provoke thought and discussion about the challenges facing the city and the importance of preserving its cultural and historical significance.