Canaletto, 'A Regatta on the Grand Canal', about 1740

We have a magnificent view of the Grand Canal and the annual regatta which attracted many visitors to Venice each year. First held in the early fourteenth century, the regatta usually took place on 2 February, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, and coincided with the Carnival, one of the oldest festivals in Venice. In the foreground and among the distant crowds we can see figures wearing traditional carnival costume – the distinctive white mask (bauta), black cape and black tricorne hat.

The course of the regatta stretched the entire length of the Grand Canal to the Ponte della Croce, back to the finishing line at the Volta del Canal. At the lower left we can see the white structure of the Macchina della Regatta, the temporary floating pavilion made of painted wood, plaster and papier mâché. It was created specially for the event and was where prizes were awarded to competitors.

All eyes are on the one-oared gondolas (battelli) racing up the middle of the canal. Just right of centre two craft swing around the bend, tilted and almost touching; the boatmen strain against their oars, trying to catch up with the leaders who are approaching the Rialto Bridge in the distance. Another boat enters the scene on the far right. Spectators watch from the Macchina and cheer from windows hung with multi-coloured banners and from the vessels lining the banks of the canal. Lavishly decorated bissone (eight- or ten-oared boats) carry Venetian nobles, who recline on velvet cushions, and rowers in colourful uniforms. Some of these boats are adorned with mythological figures and animals, others have an oriental theme.

Canaletto has captured the drama of the event, with spectators and architecture laid out at a steep angle that recedes sharply into the distance and focuses our attention on the race. The animated crowds and the boats jostling for position create a feeling of excitement. From up close the ripples on the canal’s surface look sketchy, but when you stand back this detail gives the water depth and movement.

This work and its companion piece, The Basin of San Marco on Ascension Day, are among the grandest views of Venice that Canaletto made for the wealthy visitors who flocked to see the city and the impressive public festivals and ceremonies held on its waterways. Canaletto and his studio painted many versions of this view, both with and without regattas taking place – see an earlier version of this regatta scene in the our collection – as this was a popular image among tourists.