Capriccio: A Palace with a Courtyard by the Lagoon
1752
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1752
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a sunny palace courtyard next to a quiet lagoon, with boats tied up and people strolling in the shade. This isn’t a real place—it’s a *capriccio*, a mix-and-match fantasy of buildings Canaletto knew. Wealthy travelers in the 1700s bought these as souvenirs of Venice, even though the scene was made up. The artist played with light and space like a stage set, moving real landmarks around until they felt just right. If you like this, look up *sfumato*—a soft, smoky way of blending edges that gives Canaletto’s scenes their dreamy glow.
