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Venice: The Molo towards the Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute
Canaletto·1735
Historical Context
Venice: The Molo towards the Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, painted around 1735 and now in the Royal Collection, depicts the waterfront promenade in front of the Doge's Palace looking west toward the customs house and the great Baroque church. The Molo was Venice's ceremonial quay, where the Doge embarked for state occasions and foreign ambassadors arrived. Canaletto renders this iconic waterfront with mature precision, the architectural details recorded with documentary accuracy while gondolas and figures animate the foreground. The painting belongs to the exceptional group of Canalettos in the Royal Collection, acquired from Joseph Smith in 1762 and constituting the largest single holding of this artist's work anywhere.
Technical Analysis
The Molo's waterfront provides a strong horizontal base, with the Salute's dome and the Dogana's weathervane providing vertical accents in the distance. The water surface catches complex reflections of sky and architecture.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the Molo's waterfront providing a strong horizontal base with the Salute's dome and the Dogana's weathervane providing vertical accents in the distance.
- ◆Look at the water surface catching complex reflections of sky and architecture along this 1735 Royal Collection view of Venice's ceremonial quay.
- ◆Observe the view looking west from in front of the Doge's Palace toward the customs house and Longhena's great Baroque church.
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