Canaletto. Il Trionfo della Veduta

Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto (1697- 1768), is an exceptional case in the painting of the 18th cen-tury, His artistic genius, deeply rooted in the Venetian tradition, was for landscape painting, which he reinterpreted and elevated to the levels of the European Enlightenment. The aim of the exhibition in Rome's Palazzo Giustiniani, set to be the great cultural event of 2005, is to present the most important period in Canaletto's career, the twenty years from 1726 to 1746. It was from the mid- twenties that the artist began to free himself from the gloomy, dramatic style of his early production, by means of intense experiments which led him to an increasingly rational use of perspectives, the clear presentation of details and a representation of natural, widespread luminosity, all technical conquests that were to be an inspiration for the ranks of landscape artists of later generations, such as Marieschi, Bellotto and Guardi. This new landscape vision by Canaletto contributed to the satisfaction of the tastes of enlightened European collectors - especially those of English visitors on the Grand Tour - making the artist wide-ly known and appreciated at international level. The works selected for the exhibition, from muse-ums and collections throughout the world, are the most important achievements of this event, and include such absolute masterpieces as the Festa di San Rocco from the National Gallery of London. The articles collected in the book, which is also rich in photographs, offer the reader a complete view of the figure of Canaletto, as well as an updated sum-mary of the most interesting questions