A view of the moat of the Zwinger
Bernardo Bellotto·1750
Historical Context
A View of the Moat of the Zwinger from 1750 documents the famous Baroque palace complex in Dresden designed by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. The Zwinger was the masterpiece of Saxon Baroque architecture and a subject Bellotto returned to repeatedly in his Dresden views. 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 ...
Technical Analysis
The ornate Baroque architecture is reflected in the moat's still water, both rendered with the precise detail and cool, clear light characteristic of Bellotto's Saxon views.
