Joseph Wagner - Canaletto - Casa de' Numi

Giovanni Antonio Canal (18. Oktober 1697 - 19. April 1768), besser bekannt als Canaletto, war ein italienischer Maler von Stadtansichten Venedigs. Er malte auch imaginäre Ansichten, obwohl manchmal schwer zu sagen ist, ob seine Arbeit reale oder imaginäre Ansichten darstellt. Er war auch ein Grafiker, der die Technik des Radierens anwendete. In der Zeit von 1746 bis 1756 war er in England höchst erfolgreich, wo er viele Ansichten über London schuf. Der britische Kaufmann Joseph Smith sammelte eine große Sammlung von Canalettos, die 1762 an König George III. verkauft wurde.

Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto, was a Venetian painter who specialised in vedute, or cityscapes. He is considered one of the greatest painters of the 18th century and is particularly famous for his depictions of Venice, which he captured with remarkable accuracy and detail. Canaletto was born into a family of painters and was trained by his father, Bernardo Canal. He began his career as a painter of theatrical scenes before turning to veduta. His early work was influenced by the Dutch painter Gerrit Berckheyde, but he later developed his own distinctive style. Canaletto's paintings are characterised by precise architectural detail, luminous skies and vibrant colours. He often painted the same views repeatedly, capturing different times of day and seasons. His work was highly sought after by wealthy collectors and he received commissions from prominent figures such as King George III of England. Despite his success, Canaletto experienced financial difficulties in the latter part of his career and was forced to sell many of his paintings at low prices. He eventually moved to England, where he continued to paint vedute of London and other English cities. Today, Canaletto's paintings are highly regarded and can be found in major museums around the world, including the National Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.