Canaletto (1697-1768)
Isola nella laguna con una porta e una chiesa (An Island in the Lagoon with a Gateway and a Church)
1743–1744
Oil on canvas, 51.1 x 68.6 cm
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
Seemingly a painting of a specific spot on the Venetian lagoon, this picture is actually a fanciful confection composed of elements that Canaletto sketched during several walking tours near Venice. The painter has combined the lagoon with buildings from nearby Padua and a bell tower from yet a third location to create this subtly balanced poetic grouping of simple structures. A specialist in views of Venice, Canaletto sold his paintings to English travelers eager for mementoes of their Italian trips. (SLAM)