The Grand Canal in Venice from Palazzo Flangini to Campo San Marcuola

Painted around 1738, this view by Canaletto shows the upper stretch of the Grand Canal in Venice, close to where the Cannaregio Canal branches off. It is a typical example of the vedute, the city views that Grand Tour travelers liked to take home as a record of their time in Venice. The viewpoint seems to sit in the middle of the water, surrounded by gondolas, barges and the buildings lining both banks. Many of these structures still stand: on the left is the Palazzo Flangini, with its off-center entrance, followed by the lantern of the dome of San Geremia. In the distance, partly hidden by the bend of the canal, rises the Palazzo Vendramin Calergi. The scene also records the traghetto, a rowboat ferry that was the main way to cross the Grand Canal before most of today's bridges were built. It may have been commissioned by the English merchant and collector Joseph Smith, though this is not certain. Later versions of the composition exist, along with an enlarged replica by Canaletto's nephew Bernardo Bellotto, which shows how popular the image became.

Painter

Giovanni Antonio Canal

Date

1738

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Museum

J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Genre

Veduta

Depicts

Grand Canal, Venice

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