The show is dedicated to the artistic relationship between the two great Masters, one of the most fascinating problems of the history of art in the 18th century. For the first time, the works of Canaletto and Bellotto will be displayed side by side, allowing an immediate comparison of styles, techniques and composition.
The introductory section is conceived to display the paintings by Canaletto that were a milestone in Bellotto’s apprenticeship, two important views of Venice taken from the English royal collections, while a group of Venetian “vedute” created by the Pupil in the initial stages of his career will represent the development of the style and technical acquisitions of the youngest painter in Venice. Most of these paintings were traditionally attributed to Canaletto and have only recently been recognised as the work of Bellotto.
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Canaletto - Il Canal Grande da Palazzo Flangini fino a San Marcuola Oil on canvas 44,5 x 75,5 cm Londres, Moretti Fine Art |
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The canvases, which come from European and American public and private collections, will go on show together for the first time, offering an exceptional opportunity for scholars and visitors. In many cases it will be possible to directly compare similar compositions by Canaletto and Bellotto and appreciate the early talent and importance of the role of the pupil in Canaletto’s studio, highlighted particularly by the preparatory sketches.
The series of Roman views by Master and Pupil constitutes an important section of the exhibition, as it marks the start of the independence of Bellotto as coinciding with his trip to Rome in 1742. The beautiful views of Florence and Lucca show the accomplishment of a style, a technique and a composition all of his own.
BELLOTTO - Dresda dalla riva destra dell’Elba a monte del Ponte di Augusto Oil on canvas - 95 x 165 cm Private Collection |
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One of Bellotto’s main ambitions was to paint panoramic compositions. These aspirations were achieved for the first time in 1745, with the commission of two splendid views of Turin by Carlo Emanuele III (1701-1773), Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia; the exhibition will include the View of the old bridge on the Po in Turin on loan from the Galleria Sabauda in Turin. A series of paintings created in 1744, immediately before arrival in Turin – views of Milan, Gazzada and Vaprio – illustrate the gradual and significant progress in the artistic expressions of Bellotto.
In 1746 Canaletto set off for London and the following year Bellotto went to the Dresden Court. During his ten-year stay in England, Canaletto emphasized his refined and poetic vision, which became more and more exquisitely decorative and rococo, while Bellotto, in his capacity as court painter in Dresden, Vienna, Munich and Warsaw, fully expressed his characteristic tendency towards realism and interest in nature and landscapes. A series of the works which best embody the maturity of the two artists has been selected for the exhibition.
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CANALETTO Venezia: Il Canal Grande a Venezia con San Simeone Piccolo Oil on canvas 124,5 x 204,6
cm London The National Gallery
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The shared origins of the veduta painting style of Canaletto and Bellotto will be emphasized, not only by the different interpretations of the same themes, but also by the panoramic compositions, landscapes, figures and approach to caprices (from capriccio in Italian, meaning fancy). It is to this last genre that an intriguing section of the exhibition will be dedicated, highlighting the profound relationship between the compositions of the two artists at different times during their respective careers.
The selection of fifty sketches from European and American public collections – many of which linked to the paintings on show in the exhibition – will illustrate the procedures used in Canaletto’s studio, from sketches of the first idea, to studies of compositions or details through to the creation of the finished vedute. The complete series of etchings by Canaletto and eight small proofs by Bellotto complete the graphic section of the exhibition. The focal point is always represented by the relationship between master and pupil.
Further Information
Canaletto e Bellotto
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