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qatsiBook Review: Canaletto in England, by Charles Beddington
Another exhibition catalogue, this time from a Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition in 2007. Being honest, the text is quite dry and turgid at times; for sure, provenance is important, and it's complicated by Canaletto painting several views in very similar renditions, before you even get to copies. Apparently there was some doubt at the time that the visitor was indeed the same Canaletto that many British gentlemen had encountered at the Venetian stop on their Grand Tour. Contemporary critics were apparently quite harsh and even at this distance of time, Beddington expresses disappointment at the quality of some pieces. But like most punters, I suspect, I was there for the imagery.
The catalogue does offer some surprises. The exhibition was jointly staged with the Yale Center for British Art, and a number of pictures are marked as "Exhibited at Yale only"; it feels rather fewer are marked as "Exhibited at Dulwich only", and one is even marked "Not exhibited", which rather questions its inclusion in the catalogue. Of those not shown in the exhibition but pictured for reference, I was amused by the Campanile incorporated into Canaletto's painting of Alnwick Castle (like many of the views, probably not a site actually visited by the artist); this juxtaposed the incorporation of an English Gothic Bell Tower into a Venetian capriccio.
Another exhibition catalogue, this time from a Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition in 2007. Being honest, the text is quite dry and turgid at times; for sure, provenance is important, and it's complicated by Canaletto painting several views in very similar renditions, before you even get to copies. Apparently there was some doubt at the time that the visitor was indeed the same Canaletto that many British gentlemen had encountered at the Venetian stop on their Grand Tour. Contemporary critics were apparently quite harsh and even at this distance of time, Beddington expresses disappointment at the quality of some pieces. But like most punters, I suspect, I was there for the imagery.
The catalogue does offer some surprises. The exhibition was jointly staged with the Yale Center for British Art, and a number of pictures are marked as "Exhibited at Yale only"; it feels rather fewer are marked as "Exhibited at Dulwich only", and one is even marked "Not exhibited", which rather questions its inclusion in the catalogue. Of those not shown in the exhibition but pictured for reference, I was amused by the Campanile incorporated into Canaletto's painting of Alnwick Castle (like many of the views, probably not a site actually visited by the artist); this juxtaposed the incorporation of an English Gothic Bell Tower into a Venetian capriccio.
Old London Bridge
The City seen through an arch of Westminster Bridge
The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards Westminster
The Old Horse Guards from St James's Park
Old Walton Bridge
The Thames on Lord Mayor's Day
The Bacino di San Marco on Ascension Day
Alnwick Castle
Capriccio with the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore and an English Gothic Bell Tower
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 01:19 pm (UTC)I assume that Canaletto ran a factory and had assistants helping him turn out product (just like Damien Hirst) but all the same the quality of some of the images you've posted is very high. The view through the arch of Westminster Bridge is both striking and original.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-10-30 02:57 pm (UTC)Westminster Bridge was the CrossRail of its day - late and over-budget. Old London Bridge was cleared of buildings because it had become such a bottleneck. To me it seems odd to build on what must already have been pushing at the engineering edges of the time. I suppose the Ponte Vecchio in Florence gives some idea of what it must have been like.
Canaletto probably did have some assistance, but the situation is further complicated by his nephew, who worked for a time in Dresden, also using the same name.