A canal biography

Canaletto was a highly influential Venetian landscape painter, a Vedutisti, or View Painter, during the 18th century. He worked in printmaking and etching as well, producing in Venice and England. Canaletto’s father, Bernardo Canal (1674 – 1744) was a painter of theatrical scenery, or landscapes, under who Canaletto apprenticed. Then upon an influential trip to Rome, Canaletto became enthralled by the city and its people painting what he saw.

He was very much inspired by the work of the Italian Vedutisti, Paolo Giovanni Pannini (1691 – 1756). Canaletto returned to Venice where he started painting landscapes, one of which is his well known piece, The Stonemason’s Yard, painted between 1726 and 1730. During this time he may have studied with Luca Carlevarijs (1663 – 1730) a Venetian Veduta painter. An earlier piece, Architectural Capriccio, from 1723, is known as his first documented work. While he practiced a free-hand style in his early years, his works are marked by accuracy for detail, which developed into his topographical style.

He captured sweeping

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