An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
The Grand Canal in Venice from Palazzo Flangini to Campo San Marcuolaearly 1740s
Artist: Bernardo Bellotto; Artist: Formerly attributed to Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)
Italian (Venice), 1722–1780
24 1/8 x 36 3/8 in. (61.28 x 92.39 cm) (canvas)
32 × 44 1/2 × 2 1/8 in. (81.28 × 113.03 × 5.4 cm) (outer frame)
Oil on canvas
Painting
Italy
18th century
Bequest of Miss Tessie Jones in memory of Herschel V. Jones
In the hushed morning light of Venice, a city cradled by shimmering waters, the 18th century beckoned with its charm. As soft whispers of gondoliers echoed across the canals, artists like Bernardo Bellotto set out to capture the essence of this miraculous landscape. The stately architecture rose majestically from the waters, its intricate details—the windows, the doors, the chimneypots—inviting the observer to pause and marvel.
Imagine Bellotto, standing beside the canals with a palette in hand, intent on recording not just buildings, but the very soul of Venice. His brush danced across the canvas, translating the shimmering light that played upon the waters into strokes of brilliance that felt almost like magic. Each figure, each gondola, revealed the rhythm of daily life, a life filled with stories waiting to be told.
His early work emerged under the watchful gaze of Canaletto, his teacher and uncle. Canaletto’s influence was palpable as Bellotto meticulously composed his pieces, especially one that closely followed the totemic works in the Wallace Collection of London and the Getty Museum of Los Angeles. Yet, as the sunset hues washed over his designs, Bellotto made them his own—enlarging the canvas, varying nuances, and employing a cooler palette that whispered of his distinct voice as an artist.
In a captivating twist, another version of this story exists—a fourth variant that saw the light during an art market in London back in 1998. Alongside it, an engraving by Antonio Visentini from 1742 further chronicled the vivid world that Bellotto had cherished and immortalized.
Today, as we stand at the modern train station in Venice, gazing at this iconic vista, one can't help but feel a connection across centuries. The echoes of that vibrant past remain, captured like whispers in Bellotto's brushstrokes, embodying the timeless essence of a city alive with stories and spirit, still enchanting all who wander.
About the artist
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