The Royal Collection has one of the largest and finest collections of Venetian art from the first half of the eighteenth century. It includes paintings, prints and drawings by Canaletto himself, as well as those of his contemporaries, such as Sebastiano and Marco Ricci, Antonio Visentini, Francesco Zuccarelli and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. These artists were patronised by Consul Smith and their works were later purchased by George III. This lavishly illustrated catalogue marks the first time that the rich holdings of eighteenth-century Venetian art in the Royal Collection will have been brought together, and focuses on presenting these extraordinary works against the background of the social and artistic networks of the period. Whilst displaying and analysing the brilliant works of Canaletto himself, including his cityscapes, capriccios and paintings of architecture, this catalogue also discusses the intimate interior of Venetian life, explores the links between artists and the theatre in Venice at this time and looks at Venice as a centre for printmaking and book production.

In the age of the Grand Tour and the Enlightenment, it was Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, who made the limpid, radiant light of Venice famous far beyound the frontiers of Italy. He developed veduta painting to its finest flowering. As well as numerous views of squares and canals, the artist celebrates - especially in his "Solennita dogali", his group of city festivals - Venice's former magnificence, to which he has created a memorable monument.

No-one captures the allure and charm of Venice better than Canaletto This volume presents a substantial overview of the life and works of the great Venetian painter. More than 70 works by Canaletto, including paintings and drawings from both public and private collections, are brought together to demonstrate the breadth of the artist's creative capacity. Also included is a rare collection of documents concerning Canaletto's artistic adventures, as well as a series of prints that served as inspiration while crafting his iconic city views. Together, these materials illuminate both the public genius and private personality and life of the Venetian master. Giovanni Antonio Canal(1697-1768), known as Canaletto, began his career as a scene painter for the theaters of Venice. The artist is best known for his ability to capture encompassing views of the Venetian cityscape in paint, works that were frequently sold to European aristocrats on the Grand Tour. These early paintings often subtly blur the boundary between the real and imaginary, as the artist masterfully repositioned buildings and warped viewpoints to achieve the most holistic presentation of his subject. Although Canaletto is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 18th century today, his life was mired in controversy as he struggled with his public perception, fighting to be accepted by the Venetian Academy of Fine Arts before dying in poverty.

View-painting in eighteenth-century Venice began with the emergence of Luca Carlevarijs and ended with the death of Francesco Guardi in 1793. This title presents an overview of the artists then working in the city, and draws on the latest research and scholarship to illuminate the complex stylistic relationships between them.

Canaletto, Bernardo Bellotto, Luca Carlevarijs, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Francesco Guardi, Hubert Robert—these renowned view painters are perhaps most famous for their expansive canvases depicting the ruins of Rome or the canals of Venice. Many of their most splendid paintings, however, feature important contemporary events. These occasions motivated some of the greatest artists of the era to produce their most exceptional work. Little explored by scholars, these paintings stand out by virtue of their extraordinary artistic quality, vibrant atmosphere, and historical interest. They are imbued with a sense of occasion, even drama, and were often commissioned by or for rulers, princes, and ambassadors as records of significant events in which they participated. Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, this volume provides the first-ever comprehensive study—in any language—of this type of view painting. In examining these paintings alongside the historical events depicted in them, Peter Björn Kerber carefully reconstructs the meaning and context these paintings possessed for the artists who produced them and the patrons who commissioned them, as well as for their contemporary viewers. This vital book represents a major contribution to the field of view painting studies and will be an essential resource for scholars and enthusiasts.

This book reveals the extraordinary artistic relationship between Canaletto (Venice 1697?1768) and Bernardo Bellotto (Venice 1722?Warsaw 1780): from the speed with which the exceptional young nephew learned from the teachings of his uncle? leading him to become his alter ego in works for English collectors? to the end of their direct relationship, with Canaletto in London and Bellotto in European capitals such as Dresden and Warsaw. Particular attention is paid to the interests developed by Bellotto on his travels: his rigorous perspectives and precise rendering of architecture, landscapes and portraiture, modern themes that differentiate him significantly from his uncle, who clung to the more splendid and idealised eighteenth century. The recent rediscovery of the inventory of goods from Bellotto's house in Dresden finally offers a key to understanding the culture and personality of an artist who was one of the eighteenth-century?s most restless and free. 0Exhibition: Galleria d'Italia, Milan, Italy (25.11.16 - 03.03.2017).