CANALETTO (1697-1768) The Bacino di San Marco on Ascension Day c.1733-4 © Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 404417
Canaletto’s works are so familiar as celebrations of the glories of Venice, that it’s easy to forget how innovative he was, how varied his work was, and what a brilliant painter he was in technical terms. This lecture will survey his career, considering what was new about his contribution to the grand tradition of vedute (view) painting. It will also briefly consider his remarkable achievements in Rome and London and sophisticated drawings and prints.
Christopher Baker is the Editor of The Burlington Magazine and was a Director at the National Galleries of Scotland for ten years. He recently curated an exhibition of Canaletto’s work which toured Japan.