The Antonio Canal "the Canaletto" Table Lamp Collection

The Collection

Giovanni Antonio Canal known as "Canaletto", the XVII Century master of the Venetian "vedute" (landscapes) is an artist that requires little presentation and well deserves his worldwide fame. In his time he acquired an outstanding reputation as one of the most representatives artists of the Venetian golden era that included famous names such as Francesco Guardi, Bernardo Bellotto, Luca Carlevarijs, Gaspar van Wittel, Bernardo Canal and others. Canaletto anticipated, in a way, XIX Century impressionism with his dramatic use of the palette and local colours, his atmospheric scenarios, his accurate representations and blurred depiction of far away objects (as seen through a camera obscura), and his early practice of painting "from nature" rather than in his studio as was conventional wisdom. As was often the case Canaletto was more appreciated abroad than at home, perhaps because "vedute" painting was not thought to be, in those days, the most qualitative of arts.

Born just before the end of the XVI Century of a fairly well-off family, he followed in the footsteps of his father as a theatrical scene painter (and some of this training can be seen in his early vedute (see painting no. 1, Canal Grande, Campo San Vio)) but was soon apprenticed in the shop of Luca Carlevarijs, an artist from Udine, just north of Venice, and from whom he acquired his "vedutist" style and who influenced all of his future work. He moved to Rome in 1716 where he furthered his abilities in the studio of Roman "vedutista" Giovanni Pannini.   When he returned to Venice in 1719 he not only had mastered skills in the depiction of "capriccios (Italian for fancies)" and "vedute" but had fully developed his world-famous topographical style, a style that would make him known as one of the outstanding masters of the XVII Century.

Graphic Works A Canaletto masterpiece of Venice with the Bucintoro, the Doge's sailing vessel, at anchor in the background (Royal Collection, Windsor)

His rapid career and fortune depended from a somewhat lucky encounter with United Kingdom collectionist - and later British consul to Venice -, Joseph Smith who, recognizing his abilities, became his sponsor and requested increasing numbers of canvasses and "Capriccios" depicting landscapes of Venice and the city's famed pageantry. Joseph Smith enjoyed his work as a dealer selling some of the most beautiful paintings to "gentlemen of rank" in the British Court and later managed to convince British king George III to acquire all of his own collection, thus ensuring the fame of Canaletto who did not see a great part of his work dispersed and perhaps lost. The war of the Austrian succession in the 1740's forced Canaletto to listen the advice of Smith and move to London, where he was quickly introduced to those upper classes that could afford his rather expensive offerings. He stayed in London till 1755 further developing his skills by adapting its technique to depict English landscape, castles and monuments. To respond to increasing demand he eventually begun to paint in an almost mechanical style forcing some of his patrons to question his real abilities.

After his return to Venice, Canaletto was nominated to the Venetian Academy and continued to paint until his death in 1768. He is today recognized as the finest painter of civic landscapes who ever lived and his canvasses demand prices in the millions of dollars at international auctions.

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