| The image of Venice which has captivated the world since the late 18th century largely owes its inception to the work of Giovanni Antonio Canaletto who, along with Francesco Guardi, made the art of Venetian landscapes an international obsession. Trained originally by his father as a painter of theatrical scenery, Canaletto would maintain a keen awareness of architectural perspective; he employed detailed drawings and lenses of the camera obscura to properly render the perspective lines of his topographical landscapes. He moved to England in 1746, but found only disappointment there, since the English had little interest in his less exotic, increasingly mannered treatments of their native land. Returning to Venice in 1755, Canaletto distinguished himself in a new art form, the architectural caprice, a style which either combines famous landmarks arbitrarily or invents them altogether. |
