Santa Maria della Salute and Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice by Canaletto

Canaletto · 1737-01-01

Before photography, travelers on the Grand Tour bought paintings as souvenirs of Venice. No one sold more of them than Canaletto. Santa Maria della Salute and Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice (1737) captures the waterfront with almost photographic precision and hangs today in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

Look past the great dome, past the gondolas crowding the canal, and you will find a small white dog trotting along the promenade. It is the kind of detail most viewers scroll past, but Canaletto filled his canvases with these tiny moments of everyday life tucked into grand architectural panoramas.

Canaletto was the most sought-after view painter of his time. The British consul Joseph Smith amassed a vast collection of his work, which was later sold to King George III. The artist spent nearly a decade painting London and the English countryside, but Venice was always his true subject.

Next time you look at a cityscape, ask yourself: what small detail did the painter hide in the corner?

Details

The great dome. The steps. Everything a traveler wanted to remember.

Now scan the promenade. Past the figures strolling by the water.

The detailed rendering of the cityscape in the background offers a sense of depth and the vastness of the city.

These steps are a focal point for human activity and suggest a place of gathering and importance.

Transcript

1737. Canaletto sold these views to travelers on the Grand Tour. The great dome. The steps. Everything a traveler wanted to remember. Now scan the promenade. Past the figures strolling by the water. Stop. A tiny white dog. Almost invisible among all the grandeur. King George III collected his paintings. Canaletto still painted this little dog.