Capriccio: The Rialto Bridge and The Church of S. Giorgio Maggiore (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas about this Work of Art
- The painting includes two prominent structures in Venice, Italy: the Rialto Bridge and the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. Both structures were built during the Renaissance and feature designs based on classical antiquity.
- The cityscape depicted in this painting is not real. Canaletto depicted famous landmarks from different areas of Venice and made them appear to be located beside one another.
- Capriccio is the Italian word for a whim. The term is used to describe made-up scenes like this one.
- Canaletto is known for his capriccio works because of his skill in capturing detail and creating balance. These qualities make fictional scenes appear more realistic.
- Canaletto often painted souvenirs for travelers on the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was a popular trip among wealthy, young English men in the 18th century. They studied ruins, cities, landscapes, and artworks across Europe. The tour was intended to support a man’s university education. Venice was a common stop on the Grand Tour because many classical buildings and artworks are located there.
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Canaletto was one of the most successful European artists of his time, and his most eager audience was grand tourists who commissioned painted views of Venice as souvenirs. His precise technique gives these works the illusion of accuracy, but he often subtly adjusted architectural details, viewpoints, and topography to create a more harmonious painting.
On occasion he took even greater artistic license. This painting combines two famous landmarks from completely different areas of Venice: the Rialto Bridge at left and the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore at right. The Italian word capriccio (whim or fancy) is used to describe these playful compositions.
tags: light, weather, boats, water
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers:
- Read an essay about the Grand Tour.
- Explore a web page that explains the detail in Canaletto’s paintings.
- Read an article about the artist and view a series of his paintings.
Resources for Students:
- Explore a web page that features Canaletto’s paintings of European landmarks.
- Look closely at another painting in the NCMA collection that was considered to be a Grand Tour souvenir.
- View more examples of capriccio paintings.