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Venice: Capriccio of the Piazzetta with the Libreria
Canaletto·1744
Historical Context
Venice: Capriccio of the Piazzetta with the Libreria, painted in 1744 and now in the Royal Collection, reimagines the Piazzetta — the ceremonial entrance to Venice from the sea — in an imaginary composition. Canaletto rearranges the familiar buildings of the Piazzetta, including Sansovino's magnificent Renaissance library (Libreria Marciana), into a new configuration that demonstrates his architectural knowledge and compositional invention. These capricci were valued by collectors who appreciated creative variation on familiar themes. The painting belongs to the large group of Canalettos in the Royal Collection, acquired when George III purchased Joseph Smith's collection in 1762 — one of the most significant art acquisitions by a British monarch.
Technical Analysis
The Sansovinian architecture of the Libreria is rendered with photographic precision despite its imagined setting. Dramatic shadows and carefully placed figures enliven the architectural fantasy.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the Piazzetta reimagined in an imaginary composition, with Sansovino's magnificent Libreria rendered with photographic precision despite its altered setting.
- ◆Look at the dramatic shadows and carefully placed figures enlivening this architectural fantasy of Venice's ceremonial entrance from the sea.
- ◆Observe the familiar buildings of the Piazzetta rearranged into a capriccio that demonstrates Canaletto's inventive compositional skill.
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