The Grand Canal from Santa Maria di Nazareth toward Santa Croce

This large 1730 Grand Canal view from Santa Maria di Nazareth toward Santa Croce, now in the Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin, documents the western reach of the Grand Canal near its junction with the Cannaregio Canal — the approach route from the mainland that provided arriving travelers with their first view of Venice proper. The Scalzi church (Santa Maria di Nazareth), completed in 1680 by Baldassare Longhena to a Baroque design, dominated this stretch of the canal with its elaborate marble facade. Canaletto's interest in this less-celebrated section of the canal reflects his methodical approach to documenting the entire waterway: the western reaches lacked the spectacular palace sequences of the central canal, but they carried the daily traffic of goods and people arriving from the mainland, giving them a commercial vitality different from the aristocratic grandeur of the central Grand Canal. The Pinacoteca Agnelli, established in Turin through the Fiat dynasty's art collection and opened to the public in 2002, holds this as one of its principal old master works alongside its celebrated Impressionist holdings.

The canal sweeps through the composition with characteristic fluidity, palazzo facades creating the architectural frame. The western light creates warm reflections on the water surface.