Piazza San Marco:Looking East from the South West Corner
Canaletto·1756
Historical Context
This late view of Piazza San Marco from 1756, now in the National Gallery, London, shows Canaletto revisiting his most iconic subject in his final years. The piazza remained his most requested composition throughout his career, as Grand Tour travelers sought souvenirs of Venice's ceremonial center. Canaletto's Venetian views were largely produced for British Grand Tour aristocrats facilitated by his agent Joseph Smith, later British Consul in Venice. He employed a camera obscura to achieve pr...
Technical Analysis
The southwest-facing vantage point captures the long shadows of late afternoon across the piazza. Compared to earlier versions, this late work shows a slightly more schematic handling but retains Canaletto's command of architectural perspective.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the long shadows of late afternoon stretching across the piazza in this 1756 southwest-facing view — one of Canaletto's last versions of his most iconic subject.
- ◆Look at the slightly more schematic handling characteristic of his late work, while the compositional command and architectural perspective remain undiminished.
- ◆Observe the Piazza San Marco revisited in Canaletto's final years, the subject he painted more than any other throughout his career.
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