Old Market-Place in Dresden

Old Market-Place in Dresden from 1751 at the Hermitage documents one of the oldest public spaces in the Saxon capital. This view of the Altmarkt preserves the appearance of medieval and Renaissance buildings that were later destroyed or remodeled. Bellotto arrived in Dresden in 1747, working for Elector Frederick Augustus II, and produced eighteen monumental views establishing his reputation independent of his uncle Canaletto. His Dresden canvases feature a sharper, more northerly light and a...

The market's varied architectural facades are documented with meticulous individual attention, the animated market scene providing daily-life context within Bellotto's precise topographic framework.