View of the Grand Canal: Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana from Campo Santa Maria Zobenigo
Bernardo Bellotto·1743
Historical Context
View of the Grand Canal: Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana from 1743 at the Getty Museum is an early Venetian view showing Bellotto's developing mastery of the veduta tradition. The iconic view from the direction of San Marco toward the customs house and Salute church was one of the most painted scenes in Venice. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays crystalline architectural precision with stronger contrast and cooler color than Canaletto, documentary accuracy in rendering cities of Dresden, Vienna, Warsaw, and Munich.
Technical Analysis
The familiar Venetian vista is rendered with precise perspective, Bellotto's cooler palette and sharper shadows already distinguishing his approach from his uncle Canaletto's treatment of the same subject.
