View of the Grand Canal with the Doge’s Palace and the Piazetta by Canaletto assisted by his studio, and Santa Maria delle Salute looking across the Grand Canal towards the Doge’s Palace, sold together for €780,000 (£672,415) at Hampel.
A pair of Venetian views by the most famous son of the city took top honours at the March 21 sale at Hampel (29.5% buyer’s premium) in Munich.
They were characteristically detailed depictions by Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto, in this case assisted by his studio.
It is common knowledge that Canaletto repeated many of his motives for his international clientele and employed his assistants for many of the details.
The first was a view of the Grand Canal with the Doge’s Palace and the Piazetta, the second was in effect the reverse view, from Santa Maria delle Salute looking across the Grand Canal towards the Doge’s Palace.
Santa Maria delle Salute looking across the Grand Canal towards the Doge’s Palace by Canaletto assisted by his studio, sold together with View of the Grand Canal with the Doge’s Palace and the Piazetta for €780,000 (£672,415) at Hampel.
Both canvases measured 21in x 3ft 11in (53cm x 1.19m).
The first painting closely resembles a similarly sized work which now belongs to the El Paso Museum of Art in Texas and is dated to the early 1730s. The auction catalogue provided no possible dates for the pair on offer.
The earliest, considerably smaller version of the second painting belonged to a series of 14 Venetian vedute commissioned by the British consul and collector Joseph Smith from the 1720s onwards. Many of these later came into the collection of King George III.
A copperplate of Canaletto’s view was published in 1735 by the Venetian engraver Antonio Visentini. Hampel was expecting at least €650,000 for the pair, but the successful bidder sealed the deal only at €780,000 (£672,415).
Canal Senior
View of the Piazetta and San Giorgio Maggiore, painted by Bernardo Canal, €90,000 (£77,585) at Hampel.
Several minutes later, they also invested in a 2ft 6in x 4ft (77cm x 1.22m) View of the Piazetta and San Giorgio Maggiore, painted by Bernardo Canal, Canaletto’s father.
Even though the bidder also went over the odds to claim this prize, this purchase was much cheaper: the hammer fell at €90,000 (£77,585).
