Artwork
La Piera del Bando. V.
La Piera del Bando. V. is an ink print by the Baroque artist Canaletto. It dates from 1740 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created circa 1740, *La Piera del Bando.
About this work
Overview
It belongs to a group of prints that systematically recorded the architecture and streets of Venice.
Created circa 1740, *La Piera del Bando. V.* is an etching by Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto. It belongs to a group of prints that systematically recorded the architecture and streets of Venice. The image concentrates on a tall, window‑lined building with pointed arches, populated by figures in period dress, and a sky rendered with soft, wavering lines that suggest mist or light rain.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a prominent Venetian edifice, its façade crowded with openings and a series of steps that invite activity. Pedestrians in contemporary clothing gather at the base and traverse the stairs, emphasizing the building’s role as a public space within the city’s social fabric. The atmospheric sky adds a sense of everyday weather, underscoring the work’s documentary intent.
Technique & Style
Canaletto employed drypoint alongside traditional etching, incising fine lines directly into the copper plate to achieve a velvety, slightly blurred quality. This combination allows delicate rendering of architectural detail while preserving the crispness of the overall layout. The print’s tonal range is modest, relying on line rather than extensive shading, characteristic of the artist’s precise yet economical approach to urban representation.
History & Provenance
The print formed part of a larger series that Canaletto produced in the 1740s to meet the demand for visual records of Venice among collectors and travelers. While specific ownership records for this particular plate are scarce, the series was widely disseminated through print workshops in Venice, ensuring multiple impressions circulated throughout Europe during the artist’s lifetime.
Context
During the early eighteenth century, Venice’s thriving market for vedute and prints catered to Grand Tour participants eager for souvenirs of the city’s landmarks. Canaletto’s reputation as a meticulous chronicler of Venetian scenery made his prints valuable documentary resources, complementing his larger oil vedute and reinforcing the city’s image as a hub of architectural splendor.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Antonio Canal (18 October 1697 – 19 April 1768), commonly known as Canaletto (Italian: ), was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
Views: The Stone of Proclamation at Venice
Views of Venice: The Molo and S. M. Della Salute
La libreria. V.![La libreria. V. [upper left], by Canaletto](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/canaletto--la-libreria-v-upper-left--08ea71d5490ab341-w320.webp)
La libreria. V. [upper left]
Views: The Library, Venice
Views: The Prison, Venice
Ricevimento dell’ ambasciatore imperiale a Palazzo Ducale
Views of Venice: The Piazzetta
Piazza San Marco, Venice
Le Preson. V.