Venice: View of the Grand Canal from Palazzo Grimani to Palazzo Foscari
Oil Painting
early to mid 19th century (painted)
early to mid 19th century (painted)
| Artist/Maker |
Giovanni Antonio Canal called Canaletto (1697-1867) was born in Venice and trained there by his father, Bernardo Canal, a theatrical scenery painter, and his uncle, Cristoforo. He accompanied them to Rome where he remained a few months, maybe more, and directed his artistic development towards view paintings including fantasy views and landscapes while gradually working his way into realistic view painting. He was a member of the Venetian painters' guild, the Fraglia, in 1720. He moved to England in 1746 and remained there until at least 1755, a sojourn interrupted by short visits to Venice. He trained his nephew, the view painter Bernardo Bellotto (1721-1780), who became a member of the Fraglia in 1738, and perhaps Michele Marieschi (1696-1743) and Francesco Guardi (1712-1793). He also had a certain influence on the English school of painting, especially Samuel Scott, and had established the vogue for views of London.
Antonio Visentini (1688-1782) was an Italian painter, engraver, architect and theorist. He was first known as a painter and trained with the Venetian history painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741). He became known as an engraver by the end of the 1720s when he was commissioned by Joseph Smith to produce engravings of Canaletto's views of Venice. Visentini started working as an architect in 1731, and his first theoretical work, Libro di Architettura, which included Rococo-influenced drawings by Pier Antonio Morelli after Visentini's ideas, was published in 1733. Later however, Visentini developed neo-Palladian and anti-Baroque ideas. Visentini and his pupils executed numerous drawings of ancient and contemporary buildings intended to disseminate exemplary architecture. He participated to the foundation of the Venetian Academy in 1755, where he became a teacher of architectural perspective in 1772.
This painting is a 19th century copy after an etching by Antonio Visentini who was commissioned to engrave a series of views of Venice after Canaletto. The painting shows a perspective view of the Grand Canal in Venice, from the Palazzo Grimani on the right hand-side to the Palazzo Foscari. The second building on the right is the Palazzo Businello and the third the Palazzo Coccina-Tiepolo. The painter also imitated Canaletto's art of painting with a bright palette and a free brushwork.
Antonio Visentini (1688-1782) was an Italian painter, engraver, architect and theorist. He was first known as a painter and trained with the Venetian history painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741). He became known as an engraver by the end of the 1720s when he was commissioned by Joseph Smith to produce engravings of Canaletto's views of Venice. Visentini started working as an architect in 1731, and his first theoretical work, Libro di Architettura, which included Rococo-influenced drawings by Pier Antonio Morelli after Visentini's ideas, was published in 1733. Later however, Visentini developed neo-Palladian and anti-Baroque ideas. Visentini and his pupils executed numerous drawings of ancient and contemporary buildings intended to disseminate exemplary architecture. He participated to the foundation of the Venetian Academy in 1755, where he became a teacher of architectural perspective in 1772.
This painting is a 19th century copy after an etching by Antonio Visentini who was commissioned to engrave a series of views of Venice after Canaletto. The painting shows a perspective view of the Grand Canal in Venice, from the Palazzo Grimani on the right hand-side to the Palazzo Foscari. The second building on the right is the Palazzo Businello and the third the Palazzo Coccina-Tiepolo. The painter also imitated Canaletto's art of painting with a bright palette and a free brushwork.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Venice: View of the Grand Canal from Palazzo Grimani to Palazzo Foscari |
| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Oil painting, 'Venice: the Grand Canal from Palazzo Grimani to Palazzo Foscari', After Canaletto, mid 19th century |
| Physical description | Under a wide atmospheric sky, a perspective view of the Grand Canal in Venice from the palazzo Grimani on the left, Palazzo Businello and Palazzo Coccina-Tiepolo, respectively second and third buildings on the right; some gondolas are crossing the canal in the foreground, while many others are tied to the palaces' entrances along the canal. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by John M. Parsons |
| Object history | Bequeathed by John M. Parsons, 1870 John Meeson Parsons (1798-1870), art collector, was born in Newport, Shropshire. He later settled in London, and became a member of the stock exchange. His interest in railways led to his election as an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1839, and he was director or chairman of two railway companies between 1843 and 1848. Much of his time however was spent collecting pictures and works of art. In his will he offered his collection of mostly German and Dutch schools to the National Gallery (which selected only three works) and to the Department of Science and Art at South Kensington, later the Victoria and Albert Museum. The South Kensington Museum acquired ninety-two oil paintings and forty-seven watercolours. A number of engravings were also left to the British Museum. Historical significance: Originally attributed to Canaletto, this work is a copy after an engraving by Antonio Visentini from a series of 14 etchings after Canaletto, first published in a single part of 14 plates in 1735 under the title Prospectus Magni Canalis Venetiarum, later expanded and re-issued as three parts with 38 plates in 1742 under the title Urbis Venetiarum prospectus celebriores (reprinted 1751). The present composition derives from an etching in its second part, no. 9 (impression in the British Museum, London, 1948,0704.26). The copper plate for the print and preparatory drawing are in the Galleria dell'Accademia, Venice. The view depicts the Grand Canal in Venice, from the Palazzo Grimani on the far left to the Palazzo Businello and the Palazzo Coccina-Tiepolo. The present work is an exact copy of the engraving, although two pinnacles are missing from the top of the Palazzo Caccina-Tiepolo. The copyist here imitates Canaletto's bright palette, enlivened with white and blue hues, his broad, atmospheric skies and free brushwork, but lacks his refinement of detail. Canaletto's prototype has not been located, but a similar work, depicted from a more distant viewpoint, is in the collection of the Earl of Normanton, Ringwood, Hants. The original painting may have been commissioned by the British consul in Venice, Joseph Smith (1682-1770), whose Canaletto 'vedute' were often engraved by Visentini. |
| Historical context | Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto (1697-1867), was born in Venice, where he trained under his father, Bernardo Canal, a theatrical scenery painter, and his uncle, Cristoforo. He briefly visited Rome in 1719-20, and shortly afterwards turned to view painting, strongly influenced by Luca Carlevarijs (1663-1730). He became a member of the Venetian painters' guild in 1720 and spent the years 1746-55, with interrputions, in England. His nephew and pupil was the view painter Bernardo Bellotto (1721-1780). Michele Marieschi (1696-1743) and Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) may also have been his students. He worked much for English patrons, and was influential upon English painters such as Samuel Scott, and established the vogue for views of London. Antonio Visentini (1688-1782) was an Italian painter, engraver, architect and theorist. He trained with the Venetian history painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741) and became known as an engraver by the late 1720s, when he was commissioned by Joseph Smith to produce engravings of Canaletto's views of Venice. He started working as an architect in 1731, and his first theoretical work, Libro di Architettura, which included illustrations by Pier Antonio Morelli of Visentini's ideas, was published in 1733. He and his pupils made numerous drawings of ancient and contemporary buildings as illustrations of exemplary architecture. In 1755 he was a founder of the Venetian Academy, where he became a teacher of architectural perspective in 1772. A 'veduta' is a painted, drawn or engraved composition representing a landscape or a town, largely topographical in conception. These were particularly popular during the era of the Grand Tour. Such painters were known as 'vedutisti' and sometimes employed a 'camera obscura', a box with a small hole used as an optical device, to capture effects of scenery. Canaletto also travelled to England and painted many views of London, creating a taste for view paintings, which influenced the next generation of English painters, including JMW Turner (1775-1851).The 'veduta' eventually succumbed to the invention of photography. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | Giovanni Antonio Canal called Canaletto (1697-1867) was born in Venice and trained there by his father, Bernardo Canal, a theatrical scenery painter, and his uncle, Cristoforo. He accompanied them to Rome where he remained a few months, maybe more, and directed his artistic development towards view paintings including fantasy views and landscapes while gradually working his way into realistic view painting. He was a member of the Venetian painters' guild, the Fraglia, in 1720. He moved to England in 1746 and remained there until at least 1755, a sojourn interrupted by short visits to Venice. He trained his nephew, the view painter Bernardo Bellotto (1721-1780), who became a member of the Fraglia in 1738, and perhaps Michele Marieschi (1696-1743) and Francesco Guardi (1712-1793). He also had a certain influence on the English school of painting, especially Samuel Scott, and had established the vogue for views of London. Antonio Visentini (1688-1782) was an Italian painter, engraver, architect and theorist. He was first known as a painter and trained with the Venetian history painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741). He became known as an engraver by the end of the 1720s when he was commissioned by Joseph Smith to produce engravings of Canaletto's views of Venice. Visentini started working as an architect in 1731, and his first theoretical work, Libro di Architettura, which included Rococo-influenced drawings by Pier Antonio Morelli after Visentini's ideas, was published in 1733. Later however, Visentini developed neo-Palladian and anti-Baroque ideas. Visentini and his pupils executed numerous drawings of ancient and contemporary buildings intended to disseminate exemplary architecture. He participated to the foundation of the Venetian Academy in 1755, where he became a teacher of architectural perspective in 1772. This painting is a 19th century copy after an etching by Antonio Visentini who was commissioned to engrave a series of views of Venice after Canaletto. The painting shows a perspective view of the Grand Canal in Venice, from the Palazzo Grimani on the right hand-side to the Palazzo Foscari. The second building on the right is the Palazzo Businello and the third the Palazzo Coccina-Tiepolo. The painter also imitated Canaletto's art of painting with a bright palette and a free brushwork. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 550-1870 |
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| Record created | February 26, 2007 |
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