The Molo with the Library and the Entrance to the Grand Canal
Canaletto·1740
Historical Context
This 1740 view of the Molo with the Library and the entrance to the Grand Canal captures one of Venice's most photographed vistas. The Molo served as Venice's primary waterfront promenade, bounded by Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana and the columns of San Marco and San Teodoro. 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 precise architectural fo...
Technical Analysis
The composition balances the horizontal expanse of the Molo with the vertical accents of columns and buildings. The water of the Bacino provides luminous reflections that animate the lower portion of the canvas.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the horizontal expanse of the Molo balanced against vertical accents of the twin columns of San Marco and San Teodoro with the Biblioteca Marciana beyond.
- ◆Look at the water of the Bacino providing luminous reflections that animate the lower canvas, mirroring the waterfront architecture above.
- ◆Observe Venice's primary waterfront promenade captured in this 1740 view — one of the most photographed vistas in the world.
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