Le Porte Del Dolo, from Vedute
1735/44
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 29.9 × 42.9 cm (11 13/16 × 16 15/16 in.); Plate: 30.2 × 43.4 cm (11 15/16 × 17 1/8 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
159756
Art Historical Context
Canaletto’s *Le Porte del Dolo*, created between 1735 and 1744, belongs to his celebrated *Vedute* series of etched views. The Venetian master, renowned for his luminous depictions of architecture and light, translated his painted scenes into print to reach a broader audience across Europe. This etching captures the quiet drama of the locks at Dolo along the Brenta River, where elegant villas and working waterways meet. Executed in black etching on ivory laid paper, the work showcases Canaletto’s precise line work and subtle tonal gradations. The medium allowed him to render intricate details...
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.