'Through Venetian eyes': Canaletto in London England
Follow Canaletto on his journey to England and its art world between 1746 and 1755. See how Canaletto responded to different sites in London and England. Explore how the Venetian artist attracted new patronage and how contemporaries responded to his work.
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Canaletto was one of the key artists in developing the genre of view painting during the eighteenth century. His depictions of his native Venice were highly successful and eagerly acquired by visitors to the city on the Grand Tour. In 1746, in response to a decline in clientele, perhaps resulting from fewer people traveling during the Austrian War of Succession, Canaletto made the journey to England where he would stay until 1755.
During his stay in England Canaletto produced around 40 paintings reflecting the demand for his works. Based in London, many of Canaletto’s views draw from the city, however paintings of Warwick, Badminton and Alnwick allow us to follow in his footsteps beyond the capital to country the homes of some of his patrons. Canaletto’s output of Venetian and Roman views during this time reflects a continuing taste for Italian scenes and offers an insight into his working practices in developing views from drawings that he had brought with him.
This course will follow Canaletto on his journey to London where he established himself in 1746. We will explore the English art world in the middle of the eighteenth century, a time in which British artists were keen to promote native art. We will consider how, as a foreign artist, Canaletto established himself through advertising his paintings and re-establishing links with old patrons who knew his work from their visits to Venice and how he attracted new patrons through producing flattering views of their homes. Canaletto’s English paintings have been described as showing England ‘through Venetian eyes’. We will consider the impact of Canaletto’s stay in England on on local artists from Paul Sandby to Joseph Mallord William Turner in developing English view painting
What will we cover?
· Canaletto’s period in England between 1746-1755
· Patronage and the Art Market in eighteenth-century England
· Canaletto’s artistic practice
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
· Understand British patronage in the eighteenth century
· Discuss the relationship between drawing and Canaletto’s finished paintings
· Trace the impact of Canaletto’s views on contemporary and later British artists
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and hand-outs. You should be willing to read the assigned texts as they will be key to certain aspects of our lectures and discussions.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught by lecture with slide images and you will be invited to participate in group discussion. This course uses a Google Classroom to share supplementary materials. The tutor will print out required readings and the course outline, but all other documents will be shared via the Google Classroom.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided for future study.
Bryony Bartlett-Rawlings gained her MA and PhD at the Courtauld Institute of Art, where she specialised in early print culture. She has worked as Assistant Curator of Paintings and Drawings and Assistant Curator of Engraved Ornament at the V&A, Print Room Assistant at the Courtauld Institute and the Image Researcher for the revised edition of Taste and the Antique. She has lectured at the V&A, Courtauld Institute, and University of Buckingham, and published extensively on the graphic arts. Her co-edited volume of essays Placing Prints was published in 2025.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/through-venetian-eyes-canaletto-in-london-england2989091'Through Venetian eyes': Canaletto in London Englandhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/t/h/through-venetian-eyes-canaletto-in-london-england-vb286-1080.jpg1919GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Early modern world22851136117718891228511771136<p>Follow Canaletto on his journey to England and its art world between 1746 and 1755. See how Canaletto responded to different sites in London and England. Explore how the Venetian artist attracted new patronage and how contemporaries responded to his work.</p>002989070'Through Venetian eyes': Canaletto in London England1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/t/h/through-venetian-eyes-canaletto-in-london-england-vb286-1080_1.jpgInStockDaytimeMonKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-06-22T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJun 2026Culture, history & humanitiesVB2861919'Through Venetian eyes': Canaletto in London England151219Bryony Bartlett-Rawlingsthrough-venetian-eyes-canaletto-in-london-england/vb286-2526<p>Follow Canaletto on his journey to England and its art world between 1746 and 1755. See how Canaletto responded to different sites in London and England. Explore how the Venetian artist attracted new patronage and how contemporaries responded to his work.</p>0000-Available|2026-06-22 00:00:00<p>Canaletto was one of the key artists in developing the genre of view painting during the eighteenth century. His depictions of his native Venice were highly successful and eagerly acquired by visitors to the city on the Grand Tour. In 1746, in response to a decline in clientele, perhaps resulting from fewer people traveling during the Austrian War of Succession, Canaletto made the journey to England where he would stay until 1755.</p><p>During his stay in England Canaletto produced around 40 paintings reflecting the demand for his works. Based in London, many of Canaletto’s views draw from the city, however paintings of Warwick, Badminton and Alnwick allow us to follow in his footsteps beyond the capital to country the homes of some of his patrons. Canaletto’s output of Venetian and Roman views during this time reflects a continuing taste for Italian scenes and offers an insight into his working practices in developing views from drawings that he had brought with him.</p><p>This course will follow Canaletto on his journey to London where he established himself in 1746. We will explore the English art world in the middle of the eighteenth century, a time in which British artists were keen to promote native art. We will consider how, as a foreign artist, Canaletto established himself through advertising his paintings and re-establishing links with old patrons who knew his work from their visits to Venice and how he attracted new patrons through producing flattering views of their homes. Canaletto’s English paintings have been described as showing England ‘through Venetian eyes’. We will consider the impact of Canaletto’s stay in England on on local artists from Paul Sandby to Joseph Mallord William Turner in developing English view painting</p><p>Follow Canaletto on his journey to England and its art world between 1746 and 1755. See how Canaletto responded to different sites in London and England. Explore how the Venetian artist attracted new patronage and how contemporaries responded to his work.</p><p>· Canaletto’s period in England between 1746-1755</p><p>· Patronage and the Art Market in eighteenth-century England</p><p>· Canaletto’s artistic practice</p><p>· Understand British patronage in the eighteenth century</p><p>· Discuss the relationship between drawing and Canaletto’s finished paintings</p><p>· Trace the impact of Canaletto’s views on contemporary and later British artists</p><p>This course is suitable for all levels.</p><p>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and hand-outs. You should be willing to read the assigned texts as they will be key to certain aspects of our lectures and discussions.</p><p>You will be taught by lecture with slide images and you will be invited to participate in group discussion. This course uses a Google Classroom to share supplementary materials. The tutor will print out required readings and the course outline, but all other documents will be shared via the Google Classroom.</p><p>You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided for future study.</p><p>Art and Revolution in the long 18th century</p>Art historyEarly modern worldvirtual151912VB286NONEMon22/06/2610:30 - 12:3010:3012:301 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetBryony Bartlett-RawlingsBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-06-22T00:00:00+00:00Jun 2026Culture, history & humanities1919'Through Venetian eyes': Canaletto in London Englandthrough-venetian-eyes-canaletto-in-london-england/vb286-2526<p>Follow Canaletto on his journey to England and its art world between 1746 and 1755. See how Canaletto responded to different sites in London and England. Explore how the Venetian artist attracted new patronage and how contemporaries responded to his work.</p>0000-Available|2026-06-22 00:00:00<p>Canaletto was one of the key artists in developing the genre of view painting during the eighteenth century. His depictions of his native Venice were highly successful and eagerly acquired by visitors to the city on the Grand Tour. In 1746, in response to a decline in clientele, perhaps resulting from fewer people traveling during the Austrian War of Succession, Canaletto made the journey to England where he would stay until 1755.</p><p>During his stay in England Canaletto produced around 40 paintings reflecting the demand for his works. Based in London, many of Canaletto’s views draw from the city, however paintings of Warwick, Badminton and Alnwick allow us to follow in his footsteps beyond the capital to country the homes of some of his patrons. Canaletto’s output of Venetian and Roman views during this time reflects a continuing taste for Italian scenes and offers an insight into his working practices in developing views from drawings that he had brought with him.</p><p>This course will follow Canaletto on his journey to London where he established himself in 1746. We will explore the English art world in the middle of the eighteenth century, a time in which British artists were keen to promote native art. We will consider how, as a foreign artist, Canaletto established himself through advertising his paintings and re-establishing links with old patrons who knew his work from their visits to Venice and how he attracted new patrons through producing flattering views of their homes. Canaletto’s English paintings have been described as showing England ‘through Venetian eyes’. We will consider the impact of Canaletto’s stay in England on on local artists from Paul Sandby to Joseph Mallord William Turner in developing English view painting</p><p>Follow Canaletto on his journey to England and its art world between 1746 and 1755. See how Canaletto responded to different sites in London and England. Explore how the Venetian artist attracted new patronage and how contemporaries responded to his work.</p><p>· Canaletto’s period in England between 1746-1755</p><p>· Patronage and the Art Market in eighteenth-century England</p><p>· Canaletto’s artistic practice</p><p>· Understand British patronage in the eighteenth century</p><p>· Discuss the relationship between drawing and Canaletto’s finished paintings</p><p>· Trace the impact of Canaletto’s views on contemporary and later British artists</p><p>This course is suitable for all levels.</p><p>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and hand-outs. You should be willing to read the assigned texts as they will be key to certain aspects of our lectures and discussions.</p><p>You will be taught by lecture with slide images and you will be invited to participate in group discussion. This course uses a Google Classroom to share supplementary materials. The tutor will print out required readings and the course outline, but all other documents will be shared via the Google Classroom.</p><p>You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided for future study.</p><p>Art and Revolution in the long 18th century</p>Art historyEarly modern worldconfigurable
18891136Early modern worldhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/art-history/early-modern-world1/2/285/1177/1136/18891/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Early modern world
