The Tower of Malghera, from Vedute
1735/44
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 29.6 × 42.7 cm (11 11/16 × 16 13/16 in.); Plate: 30 × 43.4 cm (11 13/16 × 17 1/8 in.); Sheet: 43.5 × 58.7 cm (17 3/16 × 23 1/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
159754
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Canaletto, along with his nephew and apprentice, Bernardo Bellotto, departed from Venice and traveled along the Brenta River to Padua around 1741. The exposure to the natural world engendered by this trip would affect the artist’s work for years afterward. This etching shows the fidelity with which Canaletto was able to render his subjects, especially architecture and bodies of water. With a sun-washed tower looming above workers along the river’s edge, the image conjures a romantic, dreamy vign...
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.