Capriccio: A Circular, Domed Church
Artist
Canaletto
(Italian, 1697–1768)
Date1740s
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionscanvas: 43.3 x 71.4 cm (17 1/16 x 28 1/8 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Terms
Object number1923.211
DescriptionCapriccio (drawing of an invented view): exterior view of a large circular, domed church with a portico on the side. Ruins in foreground. Groupings of figures in foreground and in front of church. Large medallion painting on the façade above door.Label TextGiovanni Antonio Canal, called Canaletto, was a native of Venice and did much of his work there. He also visited Rome and spent several years in England. He is principally known for his views of Venice and other cities, which were extremely popular with English collectors and other visitors to Venice. Some of his views, like this one, were invented and do not represent a recognizable scene. These are called in Italian, capricci, or fanciful views. They were frequently considered to be a higher form of art than the simple views, since they did not merely imitate nature, but required the exercise of the intellect and the imagination.ProvenanceSaid to have been in a private collection, Pulborough, Sussex, England (Rothschild correspondence); Max Rothschild, London, England, by 1923; sold to the Worcester Art Museum, 1923.
On View
On view
