Artwork
La Piera del Bando. V. [lower right]
![La Piera del Bando. V. [lower right], by Canaletto, ink, 1740](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/canaletto--la-piera-del-bando-v-lower-right--e5125c188ee0e1bc-w1024.webp)
La Piera del Bando. V. [lower right] 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. La Piera del Bando.
About this work
Overview
La Piera del Bando. V. is an etching on laid paper created by Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, circa 1740. This print exemplifies Canaletto's dual practice of etching and painting, characteristic of his work within the 18th-century Venetian school.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a grand, arched stone building with a flat roof, suggestive of a government palace or official structure, surrounded by robed figures and boats in the background, implying a scene of civic importance.
Technique & Style
Canaletto employed a range of lines and shading techniques to achieve depth and texture in the etching, blending realistic observation with compositional harmony, a hallmark of his approach to capturing architectural subjects.
History & Provenance
Created around 1740, this etching is part of Canaletto's broader output that combined printmaking with painting, contributing to his reputation for synthesizing real and imagined architectural elements in his work.
Context
While rooted in the detailed, realistic traditions of Venetian vedute, the work's emphasis on grandeur and depth relates to broader Baroque artistic tendencies, though Canaletto's style is more closely associated with the clarity of 18th-century Venetian art.
Legacy
La Piera del Bando. V. reflects Canaletto's influence on the development of architectural depiction in both prints and paintings, highlighting his role in popularizing Venetian scenes and architectural accuracy in European art.
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.
