ArtHitParade
ArtHitParade on Twitter
  • Home
    • Contact
  • Next Auctions
    • Calendar
  • Top 10
    • Origin
    • From 600 BCE to CE
    • Years 1 to 1000
    • Years 1000 to 1300
    • 14th Century
    • 15th Century >
      • Years 1400-1429
      • Years 1430-1459
      • Years 1460-1479
      • Years 1480-1499
    • 16th Century >
      • Years 1500-1519
      • Decade 1520-1529
      • Decade 1530-1539
      • Years 1540-1569
      • Years 1570-1599
    • 17th Century >
      • Decade 1600-1609
      • Decade 1610-1619
      • Decade 1620-1629
      • Decade 1630-1639
      • Decade 1640-1649
      • Decade 1650-1659
      • Years 1660-1679
      • Years 1680-1699
    • 18th Century >
      • Years 1700-1719
      • Decade 1720-1729
      • Decade 1730-1739
      • Decade 1740-1749
      • Decade 1750-1759
      • Decade 1760-1769
      • Decade 1770-1779 >
        • 1776
      • Decade 1780-1789
      • Decade 1790-1799
    • 19th Century >
      • Decade 1800-1809
      • Decade 1810-1819
      • Decade 1820-1829
      • Decade 1830-1839
      • Decade 1840-1849
      • Decade 1850-1859
      • Decade 1860-1869
      • Decade 1870-1879
      • Decade 1880-1889 >
        • 1887
        • 1888
        • 1889
      • Decade 1890-1899 >
        • 1890
        • 1892
    • 20th Century >
      • Decade 1900-1909 >
        • 1904
        • 1905
        • 1907
        • 1908
        • 1909
      • Decade 1910-1919 >
        • 1911
        • 1912
        • 1913
        • 1914
        • 1915
        • 1916
        • 1917
        • 1918
        • 1919
      • Decade 1920-1929 >
        • 1920
        • 1923
        • 1925
        • 1926
        • 1927
        • 1928
        • 1929
      • Decade 1930-1939 >
        • 1930
        • 1931
        • 1932
        • 1933
        • 1934
        • 1935
        • 1936
        • 1937
        • 1938
        • 1939
      • Decade 1940-1949 >
        • 1941
        • 1942
        • 1945
        • 1947
        • 1948
        • 1949
      • Decade 1950-1959 >
        • 1950
        • 1951
        • 1952
        • 1953
        • 1954
        • 1955
        • 1956
        • 1957
        • 1958
        • 1959
      • Decade 1960-1969 >
        • 1960
        • 1961
        • 1962
        • 1963
        • 1964
        • 1965
        • 1966
        • 1967
        • 1968
        • 1969
      • Decade 1970-1979 >
        • 1970
        • 1971
        • 1972
        • 1975
        • 1977
        • 1979
      • Decade 1980-1989 >
        • 1980
        • 1981
        • 1982
        • 1983
        • 1985
        • 1986
        • 1987
        • 1988
      • Decade 1990-1999 >
        • 1993
        • 1994
        • 1996
        • 1997
        • 1998
    • Decade 2000-2009 >
      • 2000
      • 2001
      • 2006
      • 2007
    • From 2010 to Now >
      • Current Art
  • Roman Empire
  • Renaissance
  • Painting
    • Ancient Painting >
      • Oil on Copper
    • 18th Century Painting
  • Ancient Drawing
  • Art on Paper
  • Sculpture
    • Bust
    • Ancient Sculpture
    • Italian Sculpture
    • French Sculpture
  • Women Artists
    • Ancient Art by Women
    • Art by Women ca 1960
    • Current Art by Women
  • Furniture
    • Chairs and Seats
    • Colonial Furniture
    • Ancient French Furniture
    • 18th Century Furniture
    • 20th Century Furniture >
      • Art Deco
  • Prints
    • Ancient Prints
    • Modern Prints
  • Photo
    • Old Photos >
      • Travel Photos
      • Early French Photo
    • Photos 1900-1940 >
      • Photos in the 1920s
    • Photos 1970s 1980s
    • Gursky
    • Photos by Women
  • The Man
  • The Woman
  • Children
  • Man and Woman
  • Groups
  • Self Portrait
    • Self Portrait 2nd page
  • Nude
  • Abstract Art
    • Abstract Art - 2nd page
  • Landscape
    • Midi
    • Alps
    • Mountains in China
  • Cities
    • Venice
    • Paris
    • Los Angeles
  • Flowers
    • Bouquet
  • Animals
    • Bird
    • Cats
    • Horse
  • Dragon
  • Tabletop
  • Early Still Life
  • Music and Dance in Art
    • Music in Old Painting
  • Sport in Art
  • Orientalism
    • Orientalism 1830-1900
  • France
    • Louis XIV to XVI
    • Revolution and Empire
    • Louis XVIII to 2nd Empire
    • Ancient French Painting
    • Cézanne
    • Monet >
      • Monet before 1878
      • From Vétheuil to Giverny
      • Pond by Monet
    • Gauguin
    • Lautrec
    • Matisse
    • Post War French Art >
      • Klein
  • Italy
    • Italian Painting 1280-1700
    • Canaletto
    • Modigliani
    • Modern Italian Art
    • Italy 2nd page
  • Switzerland before 1940
  • Giacometti
    • Giacometti 1947-53
  • Bacon
    • Bacon before 1963
    • Bacon 1963-70
    • Later Bacons
  • UK - 2nd page
    • Ancient England
    • George I to III
    • George IV to Victoria
    • British Royals
    • Turner
    • Freud
    • Hockney
    • Doig
  • Germany
    • Ancient Germany
    • Richter >
      • Richter before 1986
    • Germany - 2nd page
  • Rembrandt
  • Van Gogh
  • De Kooning
  • Holland 2nd page
  • Old Flanders and Belgium
    • Flemish Art >
      • Rubens
    • Magritte
    • Tintin
    • Belgium 2nd page
  • Picasso
    • Picasso before 1907
    • Picasso 1907-1931
    • Picasso in the 1930s
    • Picasso 1940-1960
    • Picasso from 1961
    • Prints by Picasso
  • Spain - 2nd page
    • Ancient Spain
    • Miro
    • Spain 3rd page
  • Klimt
  • Austria 2nd page
  • USA
    • US Independence
    • Development of USA
    • US Civil War
    • Far West
    • US Painting before 1940
    • Rockwell
    • Rothko >
      • Early Rothko
      • Rothko 1957-70
    • Pollock
    • Lichtenstein >
      • Lichtenstein after 1965
    • Warhol >
      • USA by Warhol
      • Celebrities by Warhol
      • Later Warhols
    • Twombly
    • Koons
    • Basquiat
    • USA 2nd page
  • Canada
  • Central and South Americas
  • China
    • Archaic China >
      • Ritual Bronzes
    • Northern Song
    • Southern Song and Yuan
    • Early Ming
    • Later Ming
    • Early Qing
    • Qianlong
    • Modern China >
      • Sanyu
      • Zao Wou-Ki
    • New Chinese Painting
    • Chinese Porcelain >
      • Song to Yuan Porcelain
      • Ming Porcelain
      • Qing Porcelain
    • Chinese Art
    • Chinese Calligraphy
    • Jade
  • India
    • Tibet and Nepal
    • Modern India >
      • Gaitonde
  • Persia
  • Japan
  • Russia
    • Russia 1700-1900
    • Kandinsky
  • Eastern Europe
    • Chagall
  • Northern Europe
    • Munch
  • Egypt
  • Tropical Africa
    • Congo
    • Gabon
    • Mask
  • Tribal Oceania
  • Australia
    • Colonial Australia
  • Islam
  • Buddhism
    • Early Buddhist Sculpture
  • Judaica
  • Christianity
    • Madonna and Child
  • Cars
    • Birth of Automobile
    • Cars of the 1910s
    • Cars of the 1920s
    • Cars of the 1930s >
      • Cars 1930-33
      • Cars 1934-36
      • Cars 1937-39
    • Post War Cars >
      • Cars 1940-50
      • Cars 1951-53
      • Cars 1954-55
      • Cars 1956-57
      • Cars 1958-59
    • Cars of the 1960s >
      • Cars 1960-61
      • Cars 1962-64
      • Cars 1965-67
    • Cars 1970s 1980s
    • Supercars
    • Hypercars
    • Ferrari >
      • Early Ferrari
      • From LWB to GTO >
        • California Spider
      • Ferrari after 1962
    • Italian Cars
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • Porsche
    • British Cars >
      • Aston Martin
      • Jaguar
      • McLaren
    • Bugatti
    • French Cars
    • Duesenberg
    • Ford and Shelby
    • Cars - 2nd page
  • Motorcycles
  • Jewels
    • White Diamond
    • Pink Diamond
    • Blue Diamond
    • African Diamonds
    • Jewels - 2nd page
    • Cartier
  • Silverware
  • Coin
    • Gold Coins
    • Silver Coins
    • Antique Coins
    • Coins 1000-1775
    • Coins 1776-92
    • Coins 1793-99
    • Coins 1800-49
    • Coins 1850-69
    • Coins 1870-99
    • 20th century Coins
    • British Coins
    • Dollars and Eagles
    • Asian Coins
  • Paper Currency
  • Medal and Decoration
    • Nobel Medals
  • Time Pieces
    • Clocks >
      • Old Clocks
    • Mechanical Craft ca 1800 >
      • Jaquet-Droz and Followers
    • Modern Watches
    • New Watches
    • Patek Philippe >
      • Development of Patek Philippe
      • Patek Philippe 1945-1980
    • Rolex
    • Watches 2nd page
    • English Time Pieces
    • French Time Pieces
  • Glass and Crystal
    • Glass before 1900
    • Glass 1900-10
  • From Terracotta to Porcelain
    • Ceramic before 1760
  • Textiles
  • Garment
  • Fashion
  • Books
    • Incunabula
    • Books 1501-1700
    • Fine Books 1700-1850
  • Literature
    • Literature in English
    • Literature in French
  • Poems and Lyrics
  • Autograph
  • Manuscript
  • Religious Texts
  • Political Writing
  • Comic Books
  • Comic Art
  • Travel
  • Space
  • Maps
  • Cars in Movies
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Musical Instrument
    • Violin
    • Guitar
    • Musical Instrument 2nd page
  • Pop Music
    • The Beatles
  • Poster
  • Sport
    • Sport Equipment
    • Sport Document
    • Sport Rewards and Medals
    • Sport Images before 1940
    • Sport Cards 1940-70
    • Modern Sport Cards
    • Baseball >
      • Babe Ruth
      • Baseball Bat
      • Baseball Uniform
    • Basketball
    • Ice Hockey
    • Sport Memorabilia 2nd page
    • Olympic Games
  • Origins of Sports
  • Historical Arms
    • Blade and Armour
    • Colt 1836-62
    • Later Colts
    • Winchester
    • Firearms - 2nd page
  • Toys and Carousels
    • Doll
  • Games
  • Stamps
    • World Stamps
    • US Stamps
  • Inventions
  • Instrument and Equipment
  • Sciences
    • Ancient Science
    • Sciences 1600-1800
    • Sciences from 1800
    • Astronomy
    • Physics
    • Medicine
    • Natural History
  • Whisky
  • Wine
  • Past Sales

CANALETTO (1697-1768)

See also : 18th century painting  Venice
Chronology : 1730-1739  1740-1749  1750-1759

1733 The Grand Canal by Canaletto
2005 SOLD for £ 18.6 M including premium by Sotheby's
narrated in 2020

Appearing as a successor to Carlevarijs, Canaletto managed very early to attract foreign customers. His themes are touristic, in a wide variety of views for displaying Venice in its whole historical and social diversity.

Around 1723, he paints two very large views, 141 x 204 cm and 144 x 207 cm, certainly as pendants for a single client.

He chooses the panoramic view of the Piazza San Marco with the basilica to illustrate the grandiose architecture, and the view of the Grand Canal between Palazzo Balbi and the Rialto bridge to show the life on the gondolas. The canal rotates at a right angle at that place. It is seen from full front when we look through a window from one of the three floors of the Palazzo Foscari.

On July 7, 2005, Sotheby's sold for £ 18.6M including premium over a lower estimate of £ 6M a view of the Grand Canal between Balbi and Rialto, in excellent condition, lot 47. This oil on canvas 86 x 138 cm is dated around 1733 by considerations of style, and is the very last large size example painted by Canaletto with this specific position. The image is shared by Wikimedia.

The provenance of this painting was reconstructed before the sale. It had been listed as early as 1736 in the collection of Robert Walpole, who was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. Walpole belonged to the whig party opposed to royal absolutism and certainly considered Venice, which he had not visited, as a model of a republican regime.

Giovanni Antonio Canal, il Canaletto - Venice - The Grand Canal, Looking North-East from Palazzo Balbi to the Rialto Bridge - WGA03851
18th century Painting
Venice
Decade 1730-1739

early 1730s Sunny Light on the Piazza San Marco
2014 SOLD for £ 5.5M including premium

The overview of the Piazza San Marco looking towards the Basilica is a favorite theme for Canaletto and his customers. About 1723, a painting nearly 2 meters wide is one of his earliest masterpieces.

Canaletto displayed the Piazza as the actual center of activity in the city. The Venetians go to their business, alone or in groups, wealthy or workers, children and even dogs. Clothes are drying on some palace windows.

In the early 1730s, Canaletto works better on the effects of light and shadow. The sunny atmosphere of the Piazza is perfect in the oil on canvas 59 x 92 cm for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 3, lot 11 estimated £ 5M. The topographical accuracy of the monuments is very good.

I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :

1730s Everyday Life in front of the Molo
2013 SOLD 8.5 M£ including premium

For three centuries, tourists are captivated by the view of Venice from San Marco basin. The concentration of monuments is unique, and they are magnificent.

Carlevarijs transfered to Venice the tradition of the paintings of views already appreciated in Rome by the English tourists. In Venice, the Molo is logically their favorite subject.

Canaletto learned his craft from Carlevarijs. He added very realistic details of monuments with high care brought to the relative position of the buildings and the beauty of light.

Tourists love monuments but also festivals, and precisely the feast of the Bucentaur happens on the sea. In the 1730s, the large format compositions of Bucentaur Day when the basin is covered with boats and gondolas are the masterpieces by Canaletto.

They are supplemented by smaller formats for ordinary days, where the animation is almost similar but more laborious than contemplative. An oil on canvas of this period in middle size format, 69 x 113 cm, is estimated £ 4M, for sale by Christie's in London on July 2.

This view is even a rare opportunity within this theme for showing an anecdotal detail. In the foreground, a boatman makes ​​a desperate attempt to avoid a collision with another boat. Traffic accidents are not exclusive to our automotive civilization!

POST SALE COMMENT

Very good subject, reasonably large and great period for this artist : this interesting Canaletto was sold for £ 8.5 million including premium.

#Canaletto was born on this day in Venice, 1697. ‘The Molo, Venice, from the Bacino di San Marco’, achieved £8,461,875 in our Old Masters sale of July 2013, London. pic.twitter.com/FlLEqkys1w

— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) October 18, 2018

​1738 Canaletto painted the City of Venice
2008 SOLD 3.8 M£ including premium

Canaletto was one of the most important painters of all times. The art market acknowledged his talent, and strong bids were recorded throughout the 1990s. I waited with some impatience to tell you about this master, and now Christie's gives me the opportunity, with two oils on canvas that will be sold in London on December 2.

He was not the first artist to paint realistic images of Venice. Gaspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), perhaps better known for his views of Rome, had preceded him. But the accuracy and realism of the views of Canaletto, who composed his paintings with a camera obscura, are unsurpassed. Without too much research, I remember only one predecessor, Gerrit Berckheyde, who represented Haarlem in the seventeenth century.

Canaletto had a wonderful city as a model, and viewpoints from where he made his works are endless. One of the two paintings of Christie's is the Piazzetta (est. £ 4 million), the other the Grand Canal (est. £ 3 million). Both are animated, respectively by walkers and gondolas.

The artist had a protector and agent who offered him the access to the market of English travelers, and who was so influential that his name is still remembered by art historians: Joseph Smith. Both paintings are part of a group of four that Smith supplied in 1738 to one of his English customers. Two of them were separated several decades ago, including a view of Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, 47 x 78 cm, which, returned to the market, was sold £ 7.7 million including expenses by Christie's on December 13, 2000. The catalog of Christie's sale of December 2000 said, quoting Constable, that the four paintings are of the same size and same technique.

The view of the Grand Canal that Sotheby's sold £ 18.6 million including expenses on 7 July 2005 was much larger: 86 x 138 cm.

POST SALE COMMENT

The view of the Grand Canal has achieved an excellent price: £ 3.8 million including expenses. The view of the Piazzetta, estimated to be more expensive, has not been sold. My preference was to the painting of the Canal, which I found more attractive. I am happy with the result.

1738-1739 Views and Figures of Venice
2013 SOLD 9.6 M£ including premium

With the orders carried out successively for the Dukes of Bedford and Marlborough, respectively 24 and 20 oil paintings, Canaletto enjoyed the consecration of his art.

In the late 1730s, his best works are altogether the most realistic topographic views of the monuments of Venice, a sunny atmosphere that appeals to tourists and the summary of all aspects of everyday life in the city. The great skill of this artist is to provide a perfect balance between all these topics.

A pair of canvas painted in 1738 or 1739 in his most usual format, 47 x 77 cm, displays on one of them the Piazza San Marco and for the other the Canal Grande to the Rialto. These two focal points of the Venetian activity are the best excuse to offer a picturesque scenery with unlimited entertainment.

The first customer of this pair has not been identified. The fact that they deal with the two most classic Venetian views may suggest that they were not extracted from a larger set. Their condition is pristine. This lot is estimated £ 8M, for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 4.

This period marks the greater maturity of the art of Canaletto when he teaches his craft to a gifted apprentice, his young nephew Bernardo Bellotto, causing a healthy rivalry between the two artists.

POST SALE COMMENT

This pair of views of Venice painted in one of the best periods of Canaletto was sold for £ 9.6 million including premium.

I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's, showing many details of these exceptional scenes: 

1745-1750 Celebration of the Bucentaur by Canaletto
1993 SOLD for FF 66M (worth € 10M) before fees by Tajan

Now in the collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid.

1749 The Old Horse Guards by Canaletto
1992 SOLD for £ 10M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2015 before the auction of another view in 2015 by Sotheby's (see below)

Canaletto sold his views of Venice to British tourists who were very active in the 1730s. When the Austrian Succession War reduced the travel opportunities of his patrons, he moved his studio to London, in 1746.

Being a foreigner in this big city in perpetual transformation, he did not try to express the atmosphere of remote districts and focused on a limited number of topics including the banks of the Thames and the great plaza of St. James's Park in Westminster.

The view of the Horse Guards across St. James's is one of his masterpieces by its monumental size, 117 x 236 cm. This oil on canvas was sold for £ 10M including premium by Christie's on April 15, 1992. It is currently on long-term loan to the Tate Gallery by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. The image is shared by Wikimedia.

Canaletto displays the old red brick building of the Horse Guards. Two sketches that have been preserved assess that the artist had been appealed by the announcement of the imminent destruction of the building in 1749. The oil on canvas was probably painted in May or June 1749 and was certainly the view of St. James's Park advertised by the artist in July 1749 as a demonstrator of his art for his visitors.

A smaller painting, 47 x 77 cm, has also be made in the same period. It is less panoramic and better focused on the Old Horse Guards and on the spring green of the Park. It had been sold for £ 1.1M including premium by Christie's on July 4, 1997, lot 121. and passed at Sotheby's on January 29, 2015, 
lot 98.

Really passionate about this fate of a monument, Canaletto observed again this scenery three years later with the scaffolding of the new building. This oil on panel 59 x 110 cm passed in 2012 at Dorotheum on October 17, 2012.
Canaletto - London, The Old Horse Guards from St James Park L02305
Decade 1740-1749

1747-1755 Churches and Gondolas
2012 SOLD 5.7 M$ including premium

Among the top masters of ancient painting, Canaletto is certainly the most common and most regular at auction.

On January 26 at Sotheby's in New York, he takes us to see the Giudecca, and more specifically one of his favorite views. The huge Church of the Redeemer (Redentore) is a masterpiece of Palladio. Next door, the bell tower of San Giacomo will be demolished in 1837.

This oil on canvas painted between 1747 and 1755 is nicely animated, with carefully spread gondolas gliding on the quiet canal. The composition is bold, with a warship at anchor that masks the lower part of San Giacomo.

Considering these qualities, the work is estimated $ 5M. It is shown in the release shared by AuctionPublicity.

Many works by Canaletto had been prepared as pairs. This one was separated from its pendant after 1960. It is neither shocking nor surprising: the conservation of pairs is not essential to the appreciation of his art.

The catalogue is online. Here is the size : 60 x 95 cm.

POST SALE COMMENT

The price, $ 5.7 million including premium, confirms that this work is in the high end for this famous and prolific artist.

1754 The Bucentaur by Canaletto
2005 SOLD for £ 11.4M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020

Until its destruction by Napoléon in 1798, the Bucentaur was the festive symbol of Venice. On Ascension day since 1178, this huge state barge with two decks, 35 m long and 8.5 m high propelled by 168 oarsmen, escorted the Doge and the highest dignitaries. The Doge blessed the sea and threw a golden ring in the Adriatic. During the rest of the year the boat remained at the Arsenal.

Unlike his predecessor Carlevarijs, Canaletto is not interested in official celebrations. He prefers to observe everyday life in all the variety of costumes and occupations of this cosmopolitan city. The ambiance of Ascension day is very specific and he does not disdain the subject, but the Bucentaur, while perfectly recognizable, is always far behind the bustling quay and the well-loaded gondolas.

On July 6, 2005 at lot 20, Christie's sold for £ 11.4M including premium from a lower estimate of £ 4M a view taken from the Riva degli Schiavoni, in the superb light of the end of the day, with the Bucentaur docked at the Molo.

This 152 x 138 cm oil on canvas was painted circa 1754. Canaletto, settled in London since 1746, certainly responded to a specific request from an English aristocrat who will be its first owner. The canvas is still in its period frame of English style, carved, pierced and gilded.

The image is shared by Wikimedia.

Canaletto - Venice, Bacino di San Marco on Ascension Day
Decade 1750-1759

1766 Interior View of San Marco
​2019 SOLD for £ 3.13M including premium

Painter of views of Venice, Canaletto incorporated the crowds of characters from everyday life. In his preparatory drawings executed in front of the monument, he seeks an absolute precision in details and perspective. By using these drawings as a sort of image bank, he takes liberties from the topography in his paintings to please his clients. He also drew a lot of capricci, with a profusion of invented details.

His drawings are thus the best memory of the real atmosphere in Venice in his day. For example, a 25 x 37 cm drawing showing the Campo San Giacomo di Rialto could be dated after 1758 by the shape of the pavement. It was sold for £ 1.95M including premium by Sotheby's on July 4, 2012.

The enthronement of a new doge gives rise to important celebrations. The 118th Doge is elected in 1763. Canaletto prepares a series of twelve drawings on this theme for the purpose of an edition by engraving under the title Feste Ducali. None of them has been transposed into painting by Canaletto. Guardi will do it a few years later.

These twelve works, delivered in two successive groups to the editor in 1766, are masterpieces of Venetian drawing. On a large size 39 x 55 cm, the sharpness of the pen lines and the beauty of the three shades of gray wash with chalk heightening are incomparable. The framing lines are in brown ink.

The festive crowd is in the foreground, so the group with the Doge is secondary. The artist shows the life in Venice without being interested in official celebrities. These images certainly do not result from direct testimony, which makes plausible the three-year delay between the ceremonies and the completion of the series.

The Coronation of the Doge on the Scala dei Giganti was sold for £ 2.63M including premium by Sotheby's on July 5, 2017. The Presentation of the Doge in San Marco, an interior view of the basilica, is estimated £ 1.5M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 3, lot 338.

Please note that the lower estimate has been increased to £ 2.5M before the sale.

Am 3. Juli hagelte es bei Sotheby's neue Rekorde für Alte Meister, u.a. für die vermutlich beste Zeichnung, die Canaletto jemals ausgeführt hat. (Foto: Sotheby's)#kunst #auktion #gemälde #zeichnung #rekord

— Barnebys.de (@Barnebysde) July 10, 2019

​1766 Venetian Celebration
2017 SOLD for £ 2.63M including premium

Painter of Venetian views, Canaletto is also an illustrator, contemporary of Piranesi. His series of twelve views titled Feste Ducali is a masterpiece of his later career, printed by Brustoloni in large size around 45 x 57 cm in engraving and etching.

The artist compensates the absence of colors by subtle hues of gray wash. As in the paintings from all his career the monuments are shown as much as possible in the greatest extension of their facade. The characters are divided into small groups.

The Feste Ducali followed the election of a Doge which took place in April 1763. The publisher Furlanetto announced the twelve images for sale in March and July 1766 and commissioned their printing.

On July 5 in London, Sotheby's sells the original 39 x 55 cm drawing of the view with the coronation of the Doge at the Palazzo Ducale, lot 44 estimated £ 2.5M. This grand view is also a beautiful study of perspective and light. The Scala dei Giganti is seen in a slight angle, improving the effect of the shadows.

The group with the Doge is very far, at the top of the monumental staircase. Canaletto chose a position as if he were in the crowd of the anonymous spectators. Indeed this commercial artist had no official recognition. His reception at the Accademia veneziana di pittura e scultura took place in 1765 after a difficult election in September 1763.

One of Canaletto's grandest drawings will star in our #OldMasters & British Works on Paper sale in #London next week https://t.co/25aqOzItzW pic.twitter.com/mmsYAe2gt1

— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) June 29, 2017
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.