Image source: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). View source
The Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day
Canaletto · Rococo & Neoclassicism
- Artist
- Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) (1697–1768)
- Date
- c. 1760
- Dimensions
- 58.3 x 101.8 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, United Kingdom
This view shows the most splendid ceremony of the Venetian Republic: on Ascension Day, the Doge boards the Bucintoro, a gilded state galley, to sail out to the Lido and celebrate Venice's 'marriage to the sea' by throwing a gold ring into the water.
A closer look
The huge red-and-gold ship lies moored at the Molo, in front of the Doge's Palace, surrounded by a swarm of gondolas and boats decorated for the festival. Canaletto painted every detail of the architecture, the crowds on the quay and the reflections on the water with precise lines and clear, luminous colour, often using drawing aids to get the perspective right. Such festive views were bought as souvenirs by wealthy British travellers on the Grand Tour, and Canaletto produced several versions of this subject.
More by Canaletto
In this gallery
The Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge, Venice
London Seen through an Arch of Westminster Bridge
The Stonemason's Yard