Prior to the advent of photography, scene painting was the way by which society communicated the beautiful and interesting sights of far-off lands, perhaps the equivalent of today’s vacation slide show.
On October 1697, the well-known scene painter Giovanni Antonio Canale, known as “Canaletto” was born in Venice.
He was likely dubbed “Canaletto,” which means the “little Canale,” to distinguish him from his father Bernardo Canale, who was a painter of theatrical scenery. Canaletto is well-known today for the cityscape views (“vedute” in Italian) he painted of Venice, particularly of the Doge’s Palace and the Grand Canal.
As a young professional, Canaletto started his career as an apprentice to his father, painting theatrical scenery for the theater industry. Such business took the young artist to Rome to work on some opera productions.
There, he likely came into contact with the paintings of Gian Paolo Pannini, known for his “vedute ideales” or “idealized views” (as opposed to “vedute estate” meaning, “precise views”) of the antique ruins and architecture of Rome.
Pannini had a strong influence on Canaletto’s work, particularly in the way the idealized architecture was depicted with such precision.
Upon his return to Venice in 1719, Canaletto came to study under the “vedutisti” (vedute artist), Luca Carlevaris, and quickly the young student excelled to his master’s level. Early in his career, Canaletto is known to have participated in the annual public art exhibitions of Venice, which were a tradition.
It was there that people began to take notice of his work. He likely exhibited his painting of Santi Giovanni e Paolo and the Scuola di San Marco, which was said to have “made everyone marvel.” The innovative qualities of Canaletto’s painting were beginning to come out.
Canaletto did not always follow the standard practice of painting in the studio from sketches, but instead, he sometimes painted on the scene, outdoors, a practice that seems to have anticipated the practices of more contemporary art movements such as Impressionism.
Thus his scenes have a quality of strong local color. As one art agent once said as he was recommending Canaletto’s work to a customer, “It is like Carlevaris, but you can see the sun shining in it.”
There, he likely came into contact with the paintings of Gian Paolo Pannini, known for his “vedute ideales” or “idealized views” (as opposed to “vedute estate” meaning, “precise views”) of the antique ruins and architecture of Rome.
Pannini had a strong influence on Canaletto’s work, particularly in the way the idealized architecture was depicted with such precision.
Upon his return to Venice in 1719, Canaletto came to study under the “vedutisti” (vedute artist), Luca Carlevaris, and quickly the young student excelled to his master’s level. Early in his career, Canaletto is known to have participated in the annual public art exhibitions of Venice, which were a tradition.
It was there that people began to take notice of his work. He likely exhibited his painting of Santi Giovanni e Paolo and the Scuola di San Marco, which was said to have “made everyone marvel.” The innovative qualities of Canaletto’s painting were beginning to come out.
Canaletto did not always follow the standard practice of painting in the studio from sketches, but instead, he sometimes painted on the scene, outdoors, a practice that seems to have anticipated the practices of more contemporary art movements such as Impressionism.
Thus his scenes have a quality of strong local color. As one art agent once said as he was recommending Canaletto’s work to a customer, “It is like Carlevaris, but you can see the sun shining in it.”
The figures in his cityscapes appear to have been painted using a camera obscura, a traditional aid for painting, which involves using a darkroom or box, where a figure or object could be projected through a pinhole or sometimes a lens, onto the canvas to be traced and then painted.
After his first public exhibition, Canaletto received immediate recognition, and this gained him commissions from local patrons such as the merchant Stephano Conti, who commissioned Canaletto to paint four pictures in 1725.
At that time, Canaletto’s career in Venice began to bloom, and it continued to prosper onward, through the 1730s. His father and nephew Bernardo Bellotto, whom Canaletto trained, most likely assisted in his studio to keep up with the demand.
Aside from local commissions, it was the British tourist market that kept Canaletto’s studio busy. Very wealthy tourists, often young Englishmen, in steady numbers visited Venice while on their Grand Tour though Europe. This tour was basically a scholar’s pilgrimage through Europe (usually to Rome) for educated, young gentlemen (sometimes with almost unlimited funds).
They were in search of “art, culture, and the roots of Western civilization.” Along the way, objects of art and culture were often bought and sent home to England. In particular, they sought out scene paintings of famous Venetian landmarks such as the Grand Canal, the Church of the Salute, and the Doge’s Palace.
Oftentimes, art agents would introduce such visitors to local artists or would commission works of art on the visitor’s behalf. One such agent, Joseph Smith, a British art collector (later to become the British Consul to Venice in 1744), was perhaps the most important person in Canaletto’s career.
Not only did Smith locate commissions from British aristocrats, but was also a major collector of Canaletto’s work.
The vigor with which the artist’s career began slowed in 1741, when the War of the Austrian Succession broke out. Although tourism in Venice had decreased, Smith continued to commission work from Canaletto, particularly paintings of the ancient ruins of Rome.
Canaletto produced such works as “Rome: The Arch of Titus” and “Rome: The Arch of Constantine” as a result. Yet in the end, it was not enough. So in 1746 Canaletto moved to London in order to be nearer to his market.
After his first public exhibition, Canaletto received immediate recognition, and this gained him commissions from local patrons such as the merchant Stephano Conti, who commissioned Canaletto to paint four pictures in 1725.
At that time, Canaletto’s career in Venice began to bloom, and it continued to prosper onward, through the 1730s. His father and nephew Bernardo Bellotto, whom Canaletto trained, most likely assisted in his studio to keep up with the demand.
Aside from local commissions, it was the British tourist market that kept Canaletto’s studio busy. Very wealthy tourists, often young Englishmen, in steady numbers visited Venice while on their Grand Tour though Europe. This tour was basically a scholar’s pilgrimage through Europe (usually to Rome) for educated, young gentlemen (sometimes with almost unlimited funds).
They were in search of “art, culture, and the roots of Western civilization.” Along the way, objects of art and culture were often bought and sent home to England. In particular, they sought out scene paintings of famous Venetian landmarks such as the Grand Canal, the Church of the Salute, and the Doge’s Palace.
Oftentimes, art agents would introduce such visitors to local artists or would commission works of art on the visitor’s behalf. One such agent, Joseph Smith, a British art collector (later to become the British Consul to Venice in 1744), was perhaps the most important person in Canaletto’s career.
Not only did Smith locate commissions from British aristocrats, but was also a major collector of Canaletto’s work.
The vigor with which the artist’s career began slowed in 1741, when the War of the Austrian Succession broke out. Although tourism in Venice had decreased, Smith continued to commission work from Canaletto, particularly paintings of the ancient ruins of Rome.
Canaletto produced such works as “Rome: The Arch of Titus” and “Rome: The Arch of Constantine” as a result. Yet in the end, it was not enough. So in 1746 Canaletto moved to London in order to be nearer to his market.
The artist stayed in London intermittently for nearly a decade and produced paintings of London’s landmarks as he had done the landmarks of Venice. Through Smith, Canaletto was able to connect with aristocratic patrons such as the Duke of Richmond.
The duke commissioned several views of London from the artist, such as “London: Whitehall and the Privy Garden from Richmond House” and “London: The Thames and the City of London from Richmond House.”
These scenes are often considered among the best of the artist’s London works. It is apparent, however, that there was a noticeable decrease in the quality of Canaletto’s work during this period, possibly the result of his assistants’ work. Canaletto’s paintings had become sometimes repetitious and mechanical. Consequently his reputation suffered.
Canaletto returned to Venice for good in 1755 and resumed painting for the tourist market. Generally speaking, Canaletto’s earlier work is regarded as his best and most lively, his later work artistically less remarkable.
Nevertheless, Canaletto received acknowledgement in Venice for contributing his own form of “vedute ideale” for the world to appreciate, depicting famous landmarks in a style that was at once both precise and idealized.
Eventually, in 1763 he was elected into the Venetian Academy. For his reception piece, Canaletto submitted “Capriccio of Colonnade Opening Onto the Courtyard of a Palace,” which was completed nearly two years later.
On April 10, 1768, Canaletto died of fever at the age of 71.
The duke commissioned several views of London from the artist, such as “London: Whitehall and the Privy Garden from Richmond House” and “London: The Thames and the City of London from Richmond House.”
These scenes are often considered among the best of the artist’s London works. It is apparent, however, that there was a noticeable decrease in the quality of Canaletto’s work during this period, possibly the result of his assistants’ work. Canaletto’s paintings had become sometimes repetitious and mechanical. Consequently his reputation suffered.
Canaletto returned to Venice for good in 1755 and resumed painting for the tourist market. Generally speaking, Canaletto’s earlier work is regarded as his best and most lively, his later work artistically less remarkable.
Nevertheless, Canaletto received acknowledgement in Venice for contributing his own form of “vedute ideale” for the world to appreciate, depicting famous landmarks in a style that was at once both precise and idealized.
Eventually, in 1763 he was elected into the Venetian Academy. For his reception piece, Canaletto submitted “Capriccio of Colonnade Opening Onto the Courtyard of a Palace,” which was completed nearly two years later.
On April 10, 1768, Canaletto died of fever at the age of 71.
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