ANTONIO DA CANAL, IL CANALETTO An Imaginary View of Padua.
Etching, circa 1740. 301x425 mm; 12x16 3/4 inches, wide margins. Second state (of 3). The letter A countermark (?) to an unidentified watermark (see Bromberg 41). A brilliant, richly-inked and early impression with vivid contrasts and no sign of wear, consistent with the earliest impressions of this subject.
Canaletto (1697-1768), whose work embodies the city of Venice perhaps more than any other artist, was a highly fashionable painter already known primarily for his topographical views that were popular among Europeans (particularly English visitors) on the Grand Tour, when he embarked on a series of some 30 Venice-inspired etchings in the early 1740s. This project was encouraged and principally financed by Joseph Smith, the British consul to the Venetian Republic, who also acted as Canaletto's agent on behalf of foreign collectors.
Canaletto's etchings, most of which are capricci, or imaginary views, blend familiar Venetian (and outlying areas such as Padua) vernacular architectural elements with classical motifs. His inspiration to idealize these views, many of which partially depict locations found along the Brenta Canal, running from the Venetian Bay inlad to Padua (known as the "Brenta Riviera" and home to many opulant Veneto villas), probably came from his father who was a theatrical set designer. DeVesme 11; Bromberg 11.
