The Art of Venice: A Glimpse into the City's Vibrant Past
This painting is of the Ridotto, a public gaming house.
The painting captures the atmosphere of the room just before it was remodeled in 1768.
The Grand Canal, Venice, Looking Southeast, with the Campo della Carità to the Right
Today, one would be looking at the modern Accademia Bridge from this position on the canal.
The bell tower in Campo della Carità, on the right, fell long ago, but the adjoining church and former convent, with a rebuilt entrance facade, now houses the Galleria dell'Accademia.
Canaletto made many drawings on-site, which he used to construct views like this one in the studio.
The painting belongs to a series of twenty views he probably painted for Joseph Smith ca.
Venice: The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute
The views of Venice by Guardi were hugely popular among eighteenth-century visitors to the city.
However, not all were by the artist himself.
His workshop reproduced compositions and motifs based on his earlier paintings and drawings, while emulators took advantage of the market for the taste he had helped to set.