Follower of Canaletto, 'Venice: S. Simeone Piccolo', after 1738
About the work
Overview
We look across the Grand Canal towards the facade of the domed church of San Simeone Piccolo, completed in 1738 – it dwarfs the surrounding houses and a small workmen’s hut to the left. People potter along the quayside and climb the church’s steps to take a closer look. On the canal, several gondolas pass a fishing boat, their oars stirring the rippling water.
This small work lacks the refinement of Canaletto’s paintings; it is considered an imitation of his style. For a comparison, look at the way Canaletto could evoke a face in just a few brushstrokes in Venice: The Grand Canal with San Simeone Piccolo, versus the excessively simplified faces and figures here.
This composition may derive from an original painting by Canaletto, its location now unknown. Canaletto’s detailed sketch in the Royal Collection at Windsor shows a similar view, but the steps leading to the entrance of the church are unfinished and surrounded by pieces of stone.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Venice: S. Simeone Piccolo
- Artist
- Follower of Canaletto
- Artist dates
- 1697 - 1768
- Part of the series
- Two Views across the Grand Canal
- Date made
- after 1738
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 38.8 × 47 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1860
- Inventory number
- NG1885
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Michael Levey, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
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1930G. Delogù, Pittori veneti minori del settecento, Venice 1930
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1956Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1956
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1971M. Levey, The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1971
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1976W.G. Constable and J.G. Links, Canaletto: Giovanni Antonio Canal, 1697-1768, revised edn, Oxford 1976
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1978J. Wilton-Ely, Piranesi (exh. cat. Hayward Gallery, 27 April - 11 June 1978), London 1978
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1985A. Corboz, Canaletto: Una Venezia immaginaria, Milan 1985
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1986Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1986
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1989W.G. Constable and J.G. Links, Canaletto: Giovanni Antonio Canal, 1697-1768, 3rd edn, Oxford 1989
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1990K.T. Parker and C. Crawley, The Drawings of Antonio Canaletto in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle, Bologna 1990
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1998D. Bomford and G. Finaldi, Venice through Canaletto's Eyes (exh. cat. The National Gallery, 15 July - 11 October 1998; York City Art Gallery, 24 October 1998 - 3 January 1999), London 1998
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
Images
About the series: Two Views across the Grand Canal
Overview
We don’t know who painted Venice: San Simeone Piccolo and Venice: The Grand Canal facing Santa Croce, though it’s likely they were made by a contemporary follower of Canaletto, eager to take advantage of his success by producing small-scale copies of his work, or by one of Canaletto’s pupils as a studio copy.
Inscriptions on the back of each canvas, uncovered during conservation work, state they are genuine works by Canaletto. These were presumably added by an unscrupulous artist or owner: the paintings have clearly been produced by someone imitating Canaletto’s style, though rather crudely. Pictures like these formed part of a burgeoning market in Venice during the 1730s and 1740s, enabling visitors who couldn't afford Canaletto’s high price tag to take home a souvenir from their travels.
Works in the series
Related works
