Travel through the beautiful city of Venice with the latest exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
The Queen’s Gallery has opened its latest exhibition.
Canaletto & the Art of Venice presents the work of Venice’s most famous view-painter, alongside that of his contemporaries, including Sebastiano and Marco Ricci, Rosalba Carriera, Fracesco Zuccarelli, Giovanni Battista Piazzetta and Pietro Longhi.
Lucy Whitaker, Senior Curator of Paintings at The Royal Collection, says: “This is an amazing chance to see these sets of paintings together, normally they would be separated between palace rooms.”
The first time
This new exhibition reunites two of Canaletto’s “finest sets of paintings,” which are displayed side by side for the first time in almost 40 years.
In 1762, George III purchased virtually the entire collection from Jospeh Smith, described as “the greatest patron of art in Venice at the time.”
The exhibition highlights include: six views of Venice, the earliest set of paintings commissioned from Canaletto by Joseph Smith; a set of five paintings of Roman views, each almost two metres high; a set of 12 paintings by Canaletto of Venice’s Grand Canal; and on display for the first time, a set of four pastels by Rosalba Carriera.
Travel on a journey
Displayed are over 200 paintings, drawings and prints from the Royal Collection’s holdings.
When visiting, Ms Whitaker states that the Grand Canal Season is the star.
This series of 12 paintings is one of the most important of Smith’s commissions from Canaletto, and can “take you on a journey along the river,” says Ms Whitaker.
The images give the impression of a near complete journey down the iconic waterway.
The Queen’s Gallery changes exhibitions every six months. Canaletto & the Art of Venice will be on display until 12 November.
