The Piazzetta, Venice

The Piazzetta, Venice at the Ashmolean Museum captures the narrow ceremonial passage between the Doge's Palace and the Library. Carlevarijs' view establishes the Piazzetta composition that Canaletto would later perfect. Carlevarijs documented Venice in oil on canvas with architectural precision drawn partly from his own engravings, staffing his panoramic views with animated crowds of merchants, tourists, and gondoliers rendered in small, fluid strokes.

The compressed perspective of the Piazzetta creates strong converging lines toward the background. The architectural details of both flanking buildings are rendered with documentary precision.