Canaletto Oil Painting Reproductions

Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto

Canaletto was born in Venice in 1697 and died in 1768 at 71.

Born into s family of well-respected painters, the artist served an apprenticeship with his father and elder brother, painting theatrical scenes.

Although Canaletto studied in Rome, he returned to Venice to take up his career as a professional artist.

His paintings are highly collected.  The most expensive work ever sold at auction was a view of the Grand Canal in Venice which sold for $25 million in 2005.

What type of artist was Canaletto?

He started painting his busy street scenes of Venice’s daily life after being inspired by the artist and architect Giovanni Paolo Panini.  Panini is known as a “vedutisti,” a painter of views working in Rome during the first half of the 18th century.

Canaletto worked during the Rococo Movement and Baroque Movement periods. While he is famous for his oil paintings of Venice, he also painted scenes of London and English country landscapes. Canaletto’s London paintings include Westminster Abbey 1749 and Westminster Bridge 1747

The British Aristocracy purchased many of his paintings on their Grand Tour of Europe.

His early paintings and the grand scenes of The Grand Canal in Venice and the Doges Palace are some of his most famous and instantly recognizable oil paintings.

Where are Canaletto Paintings?

The Doges Palace and Riva degli Schiavoni, alongside The Stonemasons’ Yard, are owned by the National Gallery in London.

The Piazza San Marco, painted in c1720, is on view a the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Discover art reproductions by Canaletto and oil paintings for sale by famous 18th-century artists.