Monday 21 October 2013

Canaletto

Canaletto-Bucintoro-Moto-Ascension-Day


I remember gazing with awe at a Canaletto painting in the National Gallery in London – the light in the sky was amazingly luminous.  But other than that I didn't know too much about him.

Canaletto Venice scene


It turns out that he was a Venetian who specialised in painting scenes of Venice – very accomplished ones indeed.  But his market was almost exclusively English tourists doing what was known then as The Grand Tour.  And effectively his works were bought as souvenirs – albeit very upmarket ones!  Today they'd have taken digital pictures instead.

Northumberland-House-London-Canaletto



This market dried up in 1745 when travel became difficult because of a war.  So Canaletto took himself off to London where he based himself for 10 years.  He painted many London scenes but they never were as popular as the Venetian ones.

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1 comment:

  1. Their so lovely, Carole. I enjoyed learning about the artist too!

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