Canaletto's Venice: A City on Stage
Exploring 18th-century spectacle through the lens of Canaletto's art.
Similar to today, tourists flocked to Venice in the 18th century. Drawn by its location on the sea, they also sought out the city's numerous festivals and processions. These events transformed Venice into a grand spectacle, offering continuous entertainment and visual grandeur.
Bacchus and Ariadne (1520-3) by TitianThe National Gallery, London
Many came to Venice to admire the city's spectacular setting and its impressive architecture, to experience the numerous theatres and concert halls, and to see great Renaissance art by the likes of Titian. Others came purely for the fun to be had in the casinos and brothels.
The Entrance to the Grand Canal, Venice (c. 1730) by CanalettoThe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Venice was renowned for its colorful and lively public events. Canaletto's veduta paintings capture the magic of these occasions, showcasing the city's vibrant atmosphere and character. His work transports us back in time, allowing us to experience the spectacle firsthand.
Venice: a Regatta on the Grand Canal (1741/1760) by Studio of CanalettoThe Wallace Collection
The excitement of the crowds is infectious. The annual regatta, or public rowing race, on the Grand Canal, the main thoroughfare through Venice, took place during Carnival.
Public rowing races had a long history in Venice. The first one having been held in 1315. An 18th-century guidebook described regattas as one of the happiest entertainments.
Venice: a Regatta on the Grand Canal (1741/1760) by Studio of CanalettoThe Wallace Collection
Canaletto's view is taken from the Volta di Canal when the contestants first pass it and continue north. There's a glimpse of the Rialto Bridge in the distance in the centre of the painting.
In due course, the race would end here with winners awarded prizes from the macchina della regatta, the ornate temporary floating pavilion.
The excitement of the crowd is palpable as they cheer on the rowers. Many wear the iconic Bauta mask and cape, a symbol of the Carnival festivities.
Every window, balcony, and door is occupied by spectators eagerly watching and cheering.
Venice: the Giovedi Grasso Festival in the Piazzetta (1741/1760) by Studio of CanalettoThe Wallace Collection
The celebrations held on Giovedi Grasso, or Fat Thursday, the last Thursday during Carnival, were equally exciting. This view shows the Piazzetta flanked on the left by the Doge's Palace and on the right by Jacopo Sansovino's Library.
This was the gateway into the city emphasised by the twin columns in the distance surrounded by Venice's patron saints, the lion of St. Mark in the column on the left and Saint Theodore on the right.
The centre of the painting is occupied by an impressively ornate macchina, or temporary structure, built especially for the occasion.
Before it, on an elevated stage, rival teams of acrobats undertake the Forza d'Ercole, or Force of Hercules, an impressive human pyramid that tested endurance, acrobatic skill, agility, and above all, balance.
Venice: the Giovedi Grasso Festival in the Piazzetta (1741/1760) by Studio of CanalettoThe Wallace Collection
Two rival teams climbed one above the other, holding hands, and helping each other with long poles and beams. Whoever managed to reach the highest point won. Here we see the man on the highest level upside down doing a handstand.
The crowd is packed and spectators look on in awe and delight. Here too, many wear the Bauta Carnival attire.
Two commedia dell'arte figures in the foreground are engaged in an intriguing exchange that has caught the attention of nearby onlookers.
The ropes stretching diagonally across and beyond the picture in the upper right are for another sensational event, the Volo del Turco, or Flight of the Turk, where an acrobat would fly from the Campanile, or tower, of San Marco, part of which is visible on the right, to the Dog
Along with being visually stimulating, one has to imagine the sounds that emanated from the crowds: the cheers, the laughter, the applause. Carnival brought and continues to bring people together for a period of liberation and relief from the everyday and from social norms.
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