Canaletto Biography
Canaletto pseudonym Giovanni Antonio Canal was born in Venice between 17 and 18 October 1697, son of the painter Bernardo Cesare Canal and Artemisia Barbieri. Thanks to his father, Canaletto became one of the most important landscape painters in the world and it was with him that he collaborated in the creation of painted backdrops for some shows. It is possible that, under the influence of the landscape painter Marco Ricci, Giovanni began to practice "view from nature" painting within the scenographic interest.
In 1719, Giovanni went to Rome with his father: his stay in Rome was fundamental because the painter definitively decided to dedicate himself to landscape painting, fascinated by the Roman ruins. In 1720, Canaletto returned to Venice with many commissions, becoming famous for works such as "The Grand Canal towards the Rialto Bridge" and "Piazza San Marco", the subject closest to his heart.
In the 1930s, many English clients commissioned works from him but, unfortunately, with the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), Canaletto lost his English clients. In 1746, Canaletto decided to move to London where he began to depict many views of the Thames, London architecture and landscapes. In 1755, he returned to Venice permanently and concentrated more on "architectural whims".
In 1763, Canaletto was elected a member of the Venice Academy of Art and died on 19 April 1768 in his hometown.
