Piazza San Marco: Looking South-West
Canaletto·1755
Historical Context
This 1755 view of Piazza San Marco looking southwest, now in the Wadsworth Atheneum, captures the piazza from its eastern end near the Basilica. The late date places this among Canaletto's final versions of his most iconic subject, produced after his return from England. 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 foreshor...
Technical Analysis
The southwest perspective emphasizes the length of the piazza and the long shadows of late afternoon. The Procuratie facades create rhythmic arcaded walls that frame the composition on both sides.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the southwest perspective emphasizing the piazza's full length, with long late-afternoon shadows stretching across the pavement in this 1755 Wadsworth Atheneum view.
- ◆Look at the Procuratie facades creating rhythmic arcaded walls framing both sides of the composition — Canaletto returned to this subject after his English period.
- ◆Observe one of his final Piazza San Marco versions, the familiar subject still engaging his architectural precision in his last years.
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