Footnotes

Provenance
Most probably in the present owner's family since the early 19th century
The Collection of the Murray family, Taymount House, Perth, until 1974 when ownership passed to the present owner

A well-known view of Venice, the present work depicts the Grand Canal in Venice from the Campo San Vio looking towards the East and the Bacino di San Marco, based on a similar composition by Canaletto, Venice: the Grand Canal from Campo S. Vio towards the Bacino, of circa c.1727-28, now in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen and originally purchased by George III. The buildings depicted and the angle from which we see them closely follow Canaletto's painting. The cupola seen on the right is that of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute which then leads on to the Punta della Dogana beyond. Before the Basilica and so immediately to the right of the painting are the faҫades of the Palazzo Barbarigo and the Palazzo da Mula Morosini. Beneath the cupola one can see the Palazzi Dario, Barbaro and Benzon which in reality cannot be seen from the Campo, as such this view has been adjusted by painting it as if one was a little further down the canal to enable the viewer to take in the series of faҫades fronting onto the Grand Canal. On the left side of the canal, the largest building is Sansovino's Palazzo Corner della Ca' Grande, followed by the Palazzi Minotto, Gritti and Flanghini Fini. In the present work, the artist has altered the background considerably, on comparison with Canaletto's original, as the towering Campanile di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale have been brought forward so that they are clearly visible and are positioned in the centre of the painting, our eyes being drawn down the canal to some of the most famous buildings in Venice. While this view was repeated many times in numerous paintings, each is peppered with small varying details illustrating the colourful daily life of the Venetians.