View of Murano Island

Giovanni Antonio Canal

Basic information

ID: Ж-1596
Author: Giovanni Antonio Canal
Name: View of Murano Island
Date of creation: 18th c.
Country: Italy
Technique: oil painting
Material: canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 72 x 141.5

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: cityscape
Plot: Venice
Provenance: Collection of Wiktor Baworowski
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: Giovanni Antonio Canal
Artist's lifetime: 1697–1768
Country: Italy
Biography: Giovanni Antonio Canal, also known as Canaletto, was the most prominent and famous representative of Venice's 18th-century cityscape painting. The artist was born into the family of Bernard Canal in 1697. According to biographers, particularly Antonio Maria Zanetti, the artist's father was a "theatre painter" and built a successful career as a scenographic painter. From 1711 to 1728, he worked on scenery for Venice's most famous and prestigious theatres, Sant' Angelo and San Cassiano. Between 1719 and 1720, Bernardo Canal and his son visited Rome. They were both mentioned as scenographers in the libretto of Alessandro Scarlatti's opera during this period. The nickname Canaletto, "little Canal," was most likely given to the artist in Rome. Several Italians were among the artist's patrons in the early period of his career. Still, foreigners, especially those from the British Isles, valued his works much more and constantly added them to their collections. Ambassador Joseph Smith was the main client of the artist and an intermediary between him and English art lovers. In 1746, Canaletto left for England, where he stayed until 1756, but he made several short trips to Europe. Giovanni Antonio Canal returned to Venice in 1760, where he spent the rest of his life.

Object description

The painting "The View of Murano Island" constitutes a pair with "The View of San Michele Island," which was created at the same time. The canvas depicts the island of San Murano and the church of San Giovanni Battista dei Battuti. This is an extremely rare image of a building destroyed in 1833. Murano Island is associated with Venice's glass industry. Glassmaking workshops were located there since 1297 and were closely controlled by the Council of Ten. The travellers' descriptions left vivid images of the renowned workshops that filled the island. Marcantonio Coccio Sebellico praised Murano glass, writing: "Cups, glasses, cauldrons, candlesticks, figures of all kinds of animals, horns, necklaces, anything that can please people is supplied from here [...] all nations are admiring these things [...]." Thanks to the efforts of Giuseppe Briati, the art of Murano glass gained a new bloom during the eighteenth century. He spent three years working at a Bohemian crystal workshop, where he learned manufacturing secrets. Later, he gained permission to rebuild his glassmaking workshops in Venice, which brought him great success. The artist created a beautiful panoramic image of Venice. The figures of people in the foreground, standing and walking along the wharf, are made pastose and sketchy. A little further, the artist depicted moored gondolas, one of which is floating along the canal. The Fondamente Nove with the bell towers of San Francesco della Vigna, San Marco, and the dome of Santi Giovanni e Paolo can be seen in the background on the left.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

View of Murano Island

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