The Doge Returns Thanks in the Sala del Consiglio Maggior

Art Historical Context

This striking print captures a ceremonial moment in Venice’s grand Sala del Consiglio Maggiore, where the Doge formally expresses gratitude before the assembled Great Council. Created between 1763 and 1766 by Giovanni Battista Brustolon after an original design by Canaletto, the image preserves the luminous architectural splendor and ritual pageantry of the Venetian Republic during its final decades. Canaletto’s celebrated vedute style, known for precise perspectives and atmospheric light, is faithfully translated here into an etching and engraving on laid paper. Brustolon’s meticulous printmaking technique allowed Canaletto’s vision to reach a wider European audience at a time when travel souvenirs and architectural records were in high demand. The large plate size—nearly 18 by 22 inches—retains the sweeping scale of the original hall, with its richly decorated ceiling and throng of robed officials. Today, this work from the National Gallery of Art’s Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection offers viewers an intimate glimpse into 18th-century Venetian civic life and the enduring appeal of Canaletto’s meticulously observed cityscapes.