Procession on Corpus Christi Day in the Piazza San Marco
Medium
etching and engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 43 x 55.8 cm (16 15/16 x 21 15/16 in.) sheet: 48.5 x 67.5 cm (19 1/8 x 26 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection
Accession Number
1985.61.459
Art Historical Context
In the heart of Venice's iconic Piazza San Marco, Giovanni Battista Brustolon's etching and engraving *Procession on Corpus Christi Day in the Piazza San Marco (1763/1766) captures a religious festival. Created after the renowned Venetian vedutista Canaletto, whose precise architectural views defined the 18th-century Grand Tour aesthetic, this print depicts the solemn yet festive Corpus Christi procession—a Catholic feast honoring the Eucharist. Brustolon, a skilled engraver, faithfully translates Canaletto's luminous painting into intricate lines, preserving the grandeur of Venice's basilica,...