This painting, entitled “The Campo Di Rialto” by Canaletto, depicts a classic city view of Venice in the 18th century. The work features the iconic clock tower in Piazza San Marco and showcases Venetians and tourists going about their daily business. Canaletto was born in Venice in 1697 and is considered as an important member of the Venetian landscape painters famous for his vedute or city scenes.
Canaletto’s works were highly sought after by European monarchs, and his paintings typically fetched high prices at auction. In fact, the record price paid for a Canaletto painting at auction is £18.6 million for “View of the Grand Canal from Palazzo Balbi to the Rialto.”
This painting is done in Rococo style and is currently located at Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, Germany. As an important example of Venetian vedute paintings from that era, it showcases the beauty and vibrant energy of daily life within Campo di Rialto square. It captures both urban architecture surroundings and people’s activities highlighting bountiful merchants carrying goods to this day still seen regularly throughout Venice creating an authentic feel capturing timelessness that depicts what it means to live like a true Italian today.
