Canaletto and the Art of Venice

5 December 2018 – 24 March 2019 | Beit Wing

This loan exhibition presented a selection of the finest eighteenth-century Venetian works from the UK’s Royal Collection. Paintings, drawings and prints by Canaletto are shown alongside groups of paintings and drawings by his contemporaries, including Sebastiano and Marco Ricci, Francesco Zuccarelli, and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. Most of these works were acquired by George III directly from Joseph Smith, British Consul in Venice, who was a passionate collector, dealer and supporter of Venetian artists and Canaletto’s most enthusiastic patron.

As well as offering superb examples of eighteenth-century Venetian art, the exhibition provided a fascinating insight into the social circles and artistic networks of the period.

Curator | Anne Hodge, National Gallery of Ireland

 www.rct.uk