Brustolon, Giovanni Battista

Giovanni Battista Brustolon (1712–1796) was an Italian printmaker from Belluno who became one of the most accomplished reproductive engravers of 18th-century Venice. Born in 1712, Brustolon specialized in a sophisticated combination of etching and engraving techniques that allowed him to create prints of exceptional tonal richness and detail. Employed by Venice's leading publishers, he dedicated much of his career to reproducing the works of Canaletto and other Venetian masters, helping disseminate images of Venice's grandeur throughout Europe. Brustolon's most celebrated collaboration was with the print merchant and publisher Lodovico Furlanetto. In 1763, he produced the series "Prospectuum aedium, viarumque insigniorum urbis Venetiarum" featuring Venetian views, followed by his masterwork: the "Ducal Ceremonies and Festivals" (Le Feste Ducali) series created around 1766. For this project, Canaletto made twelve original drawings of traditional Venetian festivals specifically for reproduction, which Brustolon engraved with extraordinary skill using etching and burin. These prints captured the pageantry and civic rituals of the Venetian Republic with unprecedented detail and atmospheric effect. Beyond his Canaletto reproductions, Brustolon created prints after other major Venetian masters including Titian and Veronese, demonstrating versatility across different artistic styles and periods. His work exemplified the highest standards of 18th-century reproductive printmaking, where the engraver's skill could rival the original artist's achievement. Major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, and Museo Correr in Venice preserve extensive holdings of his prints. Brustolon died in Venice in 1796, having established the definitive visual record of Canaletto's Venice for generations of admirers who would never visit the city themselves.