The Neustädter Markt in Dresden

The Neustädter Markt in Dresden documents the new town's market square across the Elbe from Dresden's historic center. Bellotto's pre-war views of Dresden became precious historical documents after the 1760 Prussian bombardment destroyed much of what he had painted. Bellotto arrived in Dresden in 1747, working for Elector Frederick Augustus II, and produced eighteen monumental views establishing his reputation independent of his uncle Canaletto. His Dresden canvases feature a sharper, more no...

The market square and surrounding buildings are rendered with topographic precision, the equestrian statue of Augustus the Strong providing a compositional focal point.