1740
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Al Dolo is a 1740 ink by Canaletto, a Baroque work, depicting Grand Canal, held at National Gallery of Art.
A narrow canal runs between tall buildings in a quiet corner of Venice. Boats float low in the water, and laundry hangs from lines above. A few people walk along the stone path, going about their day. This is an etching, not a painting, made by scratching a metal plate with sharp tools. Canaletto drew directly on the plate, capturing small details like window frames and brick patterns. The lines are sharp, and the shadows give depth to the buildings. He made this while selling views of Venice to wealthy travelers. Look up etching, drypoint, aquatint to understand how artists like Canaletto turned metal plates into detailed images. (Word count: 104)
Giovanni Antonio Canal (18 October 1697 – 19 April 1768), commonly known as Canaletto (Italian: ), was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
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