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Description: | This likely to be a nineteenth century copy after an unknown original by the famous Venetian scene painter, Canaletto. Canaletto first worked in the theatre with his father, and in 1719 he accompanied him to Rome. There he turned to topography. Upon his return to Venice he began to produce dramatic and picturesque views of Venice, marked by strong contrasts of light and shade and free handling. His patrons were chiefly English collectors on the Grand Tour; Joseph Smith, an English merchant in Venice who was appointed British consul there in 1744, appears to have been Canaletto's main support in the early 1740s. In 1746 Canaletto went to England, apparently at the suggestion of Jacopo Amigoni. For a time he was very successful, painting views of London and various country houses for, among others, the Duke of Richmond (Goodwood) and Sir Hugh Smithson, later Duke of Northumberland (Alnwick, Northumb.). Joseph Smith sold his large collection of paintings to George III, thus bringing into the royal collection an unrivalled group of Canaletto's paintings and drawings. | Subjects: | place (Venice) | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Canaletto (Italian painter, 1697-1768) Æ Attributed to after | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8512... | Go to resource |
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