Ale Porto del Dolo
1735/43
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 29.5 × 43.1 cm (11 5/8 × 17 in.); Sheet: 43.1 × 58.6 cm (17 × 23 1/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
159753
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Canaletto began his career painting Venetian landscapes and sold the majority of his works to Englishmen on their Grand Tours of Europe. In the 18th century, Venice saw a printmaking revival due to an increase in tourists. As the demand for prints grew, Canaletto turned to etching to satisfy the tourists’ needs for souvenirs. Ale porto del Dolo shows a passenger barge leaving its dock on a side canal with the campanile of San Rocco at Dolo in the distance. By varying the direction and intensity ...
About the Artist
Canaletto · 1697–1768
The most famous view-painter of the 18th century, Canaletto's works are characteristically topographically correct with smooth, precise handling. His patrons were primarily English collectors.