Antonio Canaletto
Born – Venice, Italy 1697
Died – Venice, Italy 1768
Antonio Canaletto originally worked as a theatrical scene painter for his father. In 1719, he visited Rome where he was influenced by Panini, the leading exponent of view paintings. Tiepolo, the supreme Rococo painter, and Piazetta also made strong impressions upon him. At this time Venetian artists were courted by the whole of Europe; by the age of thirty, Canaletto had established a lucrative market in Britain for his views of the canals and buildings of his native city. He based himself in London for ten years from 1746. The topographical tradition in which he worked date back to the narrative cycles of the Venetian Scuole painters who, like Canaletto, celebrated the public life of the city. To ensure an accurate representation, Canaletto used a camera obscura. This reflects an image on to paper from which the draughtsmen can then trace round the edges. A Regatta on the Grand Canal records the pageantry and splendour of a Venetian festive occasion. This atmospheric composition demonstrates his skill in rendering light and shade, and his seemingly effortless ability to suggest a mass of people.
Masterpieces:
- The Stonemason’s Yard
- Venice: The Basin of St Mark’s on Ascension Day
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About antonio canaletto
I Due Canaletto: Antonio Canal, Bernardo Bellotto, Pittori : Cinquantasei Tavole (Italian Edition)
Giulio Ferrari
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The Drawings of Antonio Canaletto in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle
K.T. Parker
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Giovanni Antonio Canal, Known as Canaletto, 1697-1768 (Masters of Italian Art Series)
Dr. Dorothea Terpitz
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