View of a Town with a Bishop's Tomb, from Vedute
1735/44
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 29.6 × 30.2 cm (11 11/16 × 11 15/16 in.); Plate: 30.3 × 30.7 cm (11 15/16 × 12 1/8 in.); Sheet: 43.3 × 58.7 cm (17 1/16 × 23 1/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
159746
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Canaletto originally conceived View of a Town with a Bishop’s Tomb as a single plate but cut it into three parts. For unknown reasons, he severed the plate in the middle of the central archway. The artist may have disliked the print’s originally imbalanced composition. The altered picture seen here allows the viewer to catch a glimpse into the town beyond the foreground tomb.
About the Artist
Canaletto · 1697–1768
The most famous view-painter of the 18th century, Canaletto's works are characteristically topographically correct with smooth, precise handling. His patrons were primarily English collectors.