Processing
Oil Pictograph on canvas ‘Retouch’ category with colour border. Processing with magnifying glass. Retouching with Maimeri and Winsor and Newton colours. Linen canvas mounted on frame. Solid wood frame, French model with 8 relief friezes. Gold leaf gilding. Framed canvas size: 62.5x82.5 cm.
History
This painting was probably commissioned by an English collector at a time when the artist was working for the British market. It depicts the famous ‘Marriage of the Sea’ ritual, when the Doge, aboard the luxurious ceremonial ship, threw a ring into the Adriatic to symbolise Venice's maritime dominance. Canaletto, a master of perspective and light, captures the festive crowd and the golden reflections on the water with incredible precision. Fun fact: the Bucintoro was destroyed by Napoleon in 1798, but thanks to works like this we can still admire its magnificence.
Canaletto, The Bucintoro at the pier on Ascension Day