The Return of the Canaletto Market

Is there a resurgence of interest underway in the works of the great Venetian view painter Canaletto?

We pose this question following a year of regular requests from collectors for work by Canaletto. Dickinson has received more calls for classic Venetian views this year than we have for decades, and this has resulted in multiple seven-figure sales in 2024. Is something happening, and why might that be?

Who was Canaletto?

Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, was born in Venice in 1697. Initially trained as a theatrical scene painter under his father, he later turned to painting the cityscapes that would make him famous. Canaletto was popular among English clients traveling to Venice, largely facilitated by Joseph Smith, an English merchant and art dealer residing in Venice, who became Canaletto's principal agent and patron. Smith's strategic promotion of Canaletto's works to wealthy British tourists solidified his reputation abroad. By the mid-1720s, Canaletto's topographical views of Venice had became symbols of cultural sophistication and taste for British collectors.

War spelt trouble?

However, the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) disrupted travel, reducing the number of British visitors to Venice and thereby impacting Canaletto's market. This decline likely influenced his decision to move to England in 1746, where he produced views of London and the English countryside. During his stay, Canaletto painted commissions for British patrons, including works featuring Westminster Bridge and Warwick Castle, tailored to local tastes.

He paints with such accuracy and cunning that the eye is deceived and truly believes it is the real thing it sees, not a painting.
- GP Guarienti

Canaletto eventually returned to Venice, where he continued his work until his death in 1768. Canaletto was known for his meticulousness and dedication to his craft, often working with a camera obscura to ensure accuracy in his vedute (views). Canaletto's style was unique in its time for its precision, the way it captured both the grandeur and the everyday life of Venice, and for adding a touch of fantasy or embellishment to views of Venice, making his work not just a record of place but an artistic interpretation of it. His work continues to be celebrated for its technical mastery and its romantic portrayal of Venice.

A potted history of Canaletto's market

The transfer of Joseph Smith's Canaletto collection to King George III in 1762 marked an important moment in institutional collecting. Held in the Royal Collection, these works solidified Canaletto's status within the British canon of great artists. His paintings also began appearing in major public exhibitions, influencing the tastes of a broader audience. The National Gallery in London acquired The Stonemason's Yard (c. 1725) in 1823, reflecting institutional recognition of Canaletto's artistic and cultural value.

As auction markets began to expand in the 19th Century, Canaletto's works started fetching high prices. Wealthy industrialists and emerging art institutions competed for his paintings, particularly as European landscape painting rose in prestige.

Canaletto collecting in an era of Modernism

Canaletto remained a popular artist throughout the 20th Century. Major exhibitions have played crucial roles in showcasing Canaletto's work, as have the scholarly efforts of Constable and Links (1977) and more recently Charles Beddington and Bozena Anna Kowalczyk. In the 1980s and 1990s, members of the Italian industrialist class were keen collectors of Canaletto's works, as well as of that of his rivals: his nephew Bernardo Bellotto (1722 - 1780), Francesco Guardi, and lesser talents such as Michele Marieschi.

However, the emergence of interest in modernist art movements like Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism started to dominate artistic discourse in the late 20th Century. These movements celebrated departures from realism and often dismissed technically precise works as lacking innovation or emotional depth. In this context, Canaletto's highly-detailed and realistic vedute might have been seen as conservative or purely decorative rather than expressive or revolutionary.