Canaletto's Colour: the inspiration and implications of changing grounds, pigments and paint application in the artist's English period

• Main Authors: Roxane Sperber, Jens Stenger
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Yale University 2016-04-01
• Series: British Art Studies
• Subjects: Art Conservation; Restoration; technical examination; British Art; Yale Center for British Art; Giovanni Antonio Canal; Canaletto; England; Venice; London; St Paul's; Painting Technique
• Online Access: http://britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/issue-index/issue-2/canaletto-colour

This article explores the English period of Giovanni Antonio Canal (Canaletto) from a technical perspective. Six paintings by the artist, from the collection of the Yale Center for British Art, compose the focus of the study. Addressing the question of whether Canaletto’s English paintings were different or, as has long been held, inferior to his Venetian works, this article details changes to the artist’s grounds, painting technique, and palette when working in England.