Art Section IV: Images as Souvenirs of Travel/The Square of Saint Mark's, Venice

What was a common souvenir among medieval religious pilgrims?

A lead badge

What was a common souvenir for Hajjis?

Scrolls that certified they had completed their pilgrimage

What are Hajjis?

Those who undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca

What do Hajjis receive in the modern era?

Printed Hajj certificates

What is the weather like in The Square of Saint Mark's, Venice?

Sunny and breezy

What are the people in the painting doing?

Going about their ordinary business

What is the most famous public square in Venice?

Piazza San Marco

What elements make the painting resemble an architectural drawing?

Thinly applied oil paint and precisely gridded lines

What else does Canaletto pay close attention to?

The poses and gestures of the people in the painting

How big are the groups of people in the painting?

Groups of twos or threes

What does vedute mean

Views

How many vedute did Canaletto make?

500

How were the vedute marketed?

As souvenirs for wealthy tourists

What was Canaletto's birth name?

Giovanni Antonio Canal

Where and when was Canaletto born?

Venice in 1697

What was Canaletto's father's profession?

Painter of theatrical scenery

What did Canaletto's father teach him?

The basics of art and perspective

What work did Canaletto do in his father's workshop?

Painting backdrops for opera productions

What did Canaletto and his father do in 1720?

They completed a major commission in Rome

What was Canaletto exposed to in Rome?

Ancient Roman, Renaissance, and contemporary art and architecture

What did Canaletto after returning to Venice from Rome?

He joined the Venetian painters' guild began his career painting landscapes

What did Canaletto specialize in?

Urban scenes

How do the buildings in Canaletto's paintings appear?

Sharp and almost photographic

What tool could Canaletto have used?

A portable optical device

What could Canaletto have used the optical device to do?

Produce on-the-spot drawings of the relative position and main features of buildings

What technique did Canaletto develop after 1730?

A calligraphic shorthand of blobs, curves, and rigid short liens to quickly draw human figures

What did Canaletto become known for between 1725 and 1740?

Highly realistic views embellished with vignettes of human interest

Who did Canaletto develop a business relationship with starting in the late 1720s?

Joseph Smith

What were Smith's professions?

Banker and diplomat

What did Smith do for Canaletto?

Introduce him to potential clients and broker deals with English-speaking travelers

What group of people were enthusiastic consumers of Canaletto's vedute?

Milordi Inglesi

What time period did Canaletto spend in London?

1746-55

What did Canaletto do in London?

Working for wealthy patrons and producing views of London landmarks

When did Canaletto go back to Venice?

1756

When did Canaletto pass away?

1768

Which Venetian artists imitated Canaletto?

Bernardo Bellotto and Francesco Guardi

What is the birthplace of vedute paintings?

Venice

Besides Venice, where else were vedute paintings common?

Major tourist spots in Italy

What did Giovanni Paolo Panini do?

Paint views for wealthy English clients

Where was the term Grand Tour first used?

Voyage of Italy (1670) by Richard Lassel

What did Grand Tour mean?

An extended tour through France and Italy studying classics, history, language, art, and architecture

Who went on Grand Tours?

Elite, educated men

When were Grand Tours common?

Late 17th through 19th centuries

How long did Grand Tours usually last?

6 months to a year

How were Grand Tours perceived by the early eighteenth century?

As a rite of passage for young British aristocrats

What social impact did Grand Tours have?

They helped solidify elite class consciousness

How did the Industrial Revolution change the British class system?

It eroded the class system

What did Grand Tours promote?

Particular ideas about aesthetics

What were Grand Tourists expected to do?

Develop an informed artistic eye and taste

What kind of art was most admired in the early 18th century?

Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture and Italian Renaissance and Baroque painting

Besides studying, what other opportunity did Grand Tours provide?

Purchasing historical and contemporary art

Why did Britain have a relatively modest art history?

It is an isolated island nation

What did mainland Europe possess a vast supply of?

Antiquities and paintings

What popular artists did Grand Tourists commission portraits from?

Pompeo Batoni and Rosalba Carriera

What kinds of paintings did Grand Tourists collect?

Modern view paintings

Why did Grand Tourists collect view paintings?

They were symbols of a successfully completed tour

When did Venice become a necessary stop on Grand Tours?

Late 17th century

What aspects of Venice attracted English visitors?

Its distinctive entertainments and canal network

How many manmade islands make up Venice?

118

What did many tourists enjoy about Venice?

Its colorful and intricate architecture

What two buildings are depicted in The Square of St. Mark's, Venice?

The ducal palace and St. Mark's Basilica

What were some characteristics of the ducal palace?

Pink marble edifice, pointed Gothic arches, and quatrefoil stone tracery

What were some characteristics of St. Mark's Basilica?

Mosaic-encrusted façade and bulbous domes

What elements emphasis Venice's unique setting and civic pride?

The winged lion of St. Mark and the piazza's frontage onto the Grand Canal

What Venetian product do the shoppers in the painting browse?

Brocade textiles

Besides art and architecture, what other aspect of Venice drew in British tourists?

Its performative culture

What events happened in Venice?

Ducal ceremonies, annual festivals, and dramatic masquerades

How did British travelers view Venice?

As a romantic site of intrigue and freedom from social constraints

Which of his artworks show Canaletto's training as a dramatic scenery painter?

A Regatta on the Grand Canal (c. 1740)

Who most likely purchased The Square of St. Mark's, Venice?

Henry Howard, the 4th Earl of Carlisle

When did Frederick Howard become the 5th Earl of Carlisle?

1758

What did both Howards do?

Complete a Grand Tour of Italy and bring back large picture collections

How many Canaletto paintings were on display in Castle Howard by 1745?

At least 10

Who mentioned seeing the Canaletto paintings in a journal?

Lady Oxford

How did a catalog of Castle Howard's paintings describe Canaletto?

The master, whose extraordinary merit can only be appreciated in England

What would the earls be reminded of when seeing The Square of St. Mark's, Venice?

The experience of visiting Venice and the growth they experienced during their Grand Tour