Canaletto

Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, was a Venetian painter of city views, the son of a theatre scene painter. His bright, precise views of the Grand Canal, Saint Mark’s Square and Venetian festivals were bought in great numbers by English visitors on the Grand Tour, often through the British consul Joseph Smith. From 1746 to about 1755 he worked in England, painting London, the Thames and country houses. The Royal Collection holds the largest group of his work, from Consul Smith’s collection; the National Gallery in London has The Stonemason’s Yard, and his views are in the Wallace Collection, Woburn Abbey and many other British houses.