Prospects of the great Canal of Venice Shewing the several Palaces & other Buildings both publick & private from one end of the Canal to the other neatly Engraved after the Paintings made on the spot by Antonio Canale.

RA Collection: Book

Record number

05/3293

Imprint

Printed for John Bowles in Cornhill, London: [after 1734]

Physical Description

T.pl., 14 pl.; 221×294 mm.

Responsibility Note

The title-plate is signed as designed by Ant. Vesentini and engraved by J. Lereau. Seven of the numbered plates are signed as painted by Antonio Canale and engraved by J. Lereau (pl. 2, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13); the rest are unsigned.

Seven carry the publisher's imprint, 'Printed for John Bowles at the Black Horse in Cornhill' (pl. 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14).

References

D. Alexander, 'Canaletto and the English print market', in M. Liversidge and J. Farrington, edd., Canaletto & England [exhibition catalogue] (1993); D. Succi, Canaletto & Visentini tra Venezia e Londra [exhibition catalogue] (1986).

Summary Note

No publication-date is given; but the printseller John Bowles is known to have moved to the Black Horse, Cornhill, by 1734.

The plates are captioned and show: 1. 'A View of St. Mark's, & of the Bucentaur on ascention day when the Doge goes to marry the Sea'; 2. 'A Representation of a Gondola Race, also a view on the Grand Canal from the Palace of Balbori to the Bridge Rialto'; 3. 'A View of the Grand Canal taken from the eastside of the Rialto down to the Palace of Foscari'; 4. 'A View of the Palace of Foscari on one side & of Lini on the other down to the Church della Carita'; 5. 'A View of the Grand Canal from the Church della Carita to the Custom House'; 6. 'A View of the Grand Canal from the Palace of Cornaro to the Custom House'; 7. 'A View from the Church della Madona della salute to the end of the Grand Canal'; 8. 'The entrance into the City of Venice at the head of the Grand Canal'; 9. 'The West Side of the Bridge of Rialto with the adjacent Publick Buildings'; 10. 'A View of the Grand Canal from the Publick Buildings of the Rialto on one side, & from the Holy Apostles on the other, to the palace of Grimani'; 11. 'A View of the Grand Canal from the Palace Grimani to the Canal Regio'; 12. 'The Entrance of the Canal Regio from the Church of St. Jeremiah'; 13. 'A View of the Grand Canal from the Church of the Carmelites & St. Simon to the Fullers mill'; 14. 'A View from the Fullers mill to the Church of St. Clare at the End of the Grand Canal'.

This work is based on the Prospectus Magni Canalis Venetiarum published in Venice in 1735 by Pasquali (for Consul Smith), which contained fourteen views drawn and engraved by A. Visentini after paintings by Canaletto. (This was published in an expanded edition in 1742.)

Provenance

23 October 1849: Ordered to be purchased 'a collection of Engravings after Canaletto' (RA Council Minutes, X, 266-7).

Binding Note

19th-century half calf, brown cloth-covered boards; spine lettered 'Canaletti. Views Of Venice.' and 'R.A.'

Name as Subject

Subject

Architecture - Cities - Canals - Italy - Venice - History - 18th century
Paintings - Landscapes (representations) - 18th century
Views - Italy - Great Britain - 18th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century

Contributors

Antonio Canaletto, source artist
J. Lereau, engraver
John Bowles, publisher, bookseller
Antonio Visentini, draughtsman