Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) (1697-1768).
Venetian painter, he
began work painting theatrical scenery - his father's profession, but he
turned to topography during a visit to Rome in 1719-20, when he was
influenced by the work of Giovanni Paolo Panini. By 1723 he was painting
dramatic and picturesque views of Venice, marked by strong contrasts of
light and shade and free handling, this phase of his work culminating in
the splendid Stone Mason's Yard (National Gallery, London,
c. 1730). Meanwhile, partly under the influence of Luca Carlevaris, and
largely in rivalry with him, Canaletto began to turn out views which
were more topographically accurate, set in a higher key, and with
smoother, more precise handling -- characteristics that mark most of his
later work. At the same time he began painting the ceremonial and
festival subjects which ultimately formed an important part of his work.
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Giovanni Antonio Canale, called Canaletto
(1697-1768)
He took as his specialty the relatively new and rare form of painting,
the city view (veduta). His principal patrons were English aristocrats
on the Grand Tour, for whom his scenes were souvenirs of the sights of
Venice. He went to England in 1746 after the War of the Austrian
Succession had drastically curtailed the stream of English visitors to
Venice. He painted many scenes of English landscapes and country houses
before returning to Venice in 1755. Canaletto was elected to the Venice
Academy in 1763, but the paintings of his later years were increasingly
criticized for their facile manner and mechanical repetition of overly
familiar themes. The atmospheric quality of his best works was an
important influence on 19th-century landscape painting.
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Giovanni Antonio Canale was born in October 1697 and baptized in the
church of San Lio. He later became known as Canaletto, probably to
distinguish him from his father Bernardo Canale, who was also an artist.
The professional training Canaletto received from his father, who worked
as a designer and scene painter for the theater, and had some success.
Canaletto, together with his brother Christoforo, initially followed
Bernardo, and was himself employed as a theatrical painter.
In 1719, he traveled with his father to Rome where he helped
with the preparations for two operas by Scarlatti, performed during the
carnival in 1720. This trip seems to have marked a turning point for the
young artist. In Rome he could have come into contact with artists such
as Gian Paolo Pannini (1691/2-1765), who produced vedute (view
paintings), which Canaletto would later specialize in. In Rome, he also
made a number of drawn studies of ancient sites, which were used as the
basis for later works.
Within the Italian tradition of vedute (view painting)
Canaletto explored different forms. He created vedute esatte (precise
views), and also vedute ideale (imaginary or fantastic views), which are
known as capricci, in these works Canaletto drew together architectural
subjects from different sources and arranged them in an imaginative form
to create a very consciously fictional and poetic image. Pictures of
this type assume knowledge of their subjects on the part of the viewer,
and were designed to appeal to the contemporary taste for ruins and the
nostalgia they evoked.
In 1720, the artist’s name is first recorded in the register
of the Venetian painters’ guild. Venice had a tradition of public
exhibitions, at which painters, especially beginners, could promote
their work. Canaletto is recorded as having hung a view of the church of
Santi Giovanni e Paolo (probably Santi Giovanni e Paolo and the
Scuola di San Marco) at the annual display of paintings
organized outside the Scuola di San Rocco. His work was said to have
‘made everyone marvel’, and it was purchased by the Imperial Ambassador
to Venice. The exhibition itself was later depicted by the artist in the
background of his portrayal of the Doge procession The Doge
Visiting the Church and Scuola di San Rocco.
Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto,
was born in Venice, the son of a theatrical scene |
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