Canaletto. Prima maniera

The Venetian vedutismo that conquered the international art world in the eighteenth century – and continues to attract and fascinate viewers worldwide – owes its elevation to the highest ranks to the brilliance of Antonio Canal, otherwise known as Canaletto (1687-1768).

Canaletto’s works were part of every important eighteenth-century collection. Despite their exorbitant price, they were commissioned from as early as the late-twenties right up to the outbreak of the Austrian War of Succession in complete series intended as a souvenirs of the Grand Tour and wisely promoted through the intervention of Joseph Smith, a banker, collector and English consul in Venice from 1744 on, and Anton Maria Zanetti Sr., a prominent figure in Venetian cultural life.

Canaletto became known for having ‘invented’ a style of painting capable of rendering the depth of space, unfailing perspective and ideal luminosity of the atmosphere, all with enlightened sureness. His style was capable of recreating Venice’s charm in a technique that exalted the complexity and beauty of the city’s architecture and the transparancy of its waters and skies.
The exhibition ‘Canaletto prima maniera’ – in collaboration with Regione Veneto – illustrates the extraordinary development of the artist’s style and taste. It traces his fascinating path from the baroque world of theatre decoration – where he followed in the footsteps of his father Bernardo as stage designer – up through the moment of his international fame, an unpredictable decade of experimentation, favoured from the very start by his enormous success among Venetian collectors and stimulated by the prestigious works commissioned by foreign diplomats working in Venice.

Venice, Island of San Giorgio Maggiore
18 March – 24 June 2001

Information
Institute of Art History
tel. +39 041 2710230 -fax +39 041 5205842
e-mail: arte@cini.it