VERMEER CANA TURNER

An 18 th century artist named Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known
as Canaletto meaning “Little Canal”. He was a Rococo painter that
was highly inspired by Vermeer and suggestively used the same
technique as the Dutch master himself. Canaletto was born on 28 th
October 1697 in Venice where he admired and depicted views of
the city of Venice. He was a son to Bernardo Canal and Artemisia
Barbieri. He began an occupation in his father’s steps as a theatrical
scene painter.
On his return from Rome in 1719, he began painting his well‐known
topographical paintings which were said to be formed with the use
of camera obscura for accuracy, under the training of the older Luca
Carlevaris. Carlevaris was famous for his urban cityscapes.
Canaletto's early artwork was painted 'from nature'. Majority of his
later works tend to have distant figures, painted as blobs of colour.
This was an effect formed by using a camera obscura because it
blurred object further away.
English collectors, on their Grand Tour, admired Canaletto’s artwork
and often commissioned them through the agency of the merchant
Joseph Smith. In 1739. Britain declared war on Spain and the 'War
of Jenkins's Ear' began. This began after repeated depredations on
British ships by Spanish 'guarda costas'. This was mainly a colonial
war in Caribbean waters. It was named after a
Captain Robert Jenkins. Britain declared war on
Spain whose ear had been severed by the Spanish.
The War lasted until 1748, but the war formed into
a larger war called the Austrian Succession, which
took place from October 1740 until October 1748.
This war reduced Canaletto’s commissions greatly
as it was too risky associating with the British.
After his return to Venice, Canaletto was elected to
the Venetian Academy in 1763. In his later works,
he often worked from old sketches and continued
painting until his death in 1768, successfully
teaching his pupils; Bernardo Bellotto, Francesco
Guardi, Michele Marieschi, Gabriele Bella,
Giuseppe Moretti, and Giuseppe Bernardino Bison.