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Giovanni Antonio Canal - The Return of the Bucintoro at the Mole on Ascension Day - Royal Collection Buckingham Palace - c. 1733-4
Summary
bucentaur after the ceremony for the Sposalizio del Mar, the Wedding of the Sea, held on Ascension Day and thus otherwise known as the Festa della Sensa. Venice’s principal annual ceremony was of uncertain origin: it commemorated, according to one tradition, the sailing on Ascension Day in the year 1000 of a war fleet to assert Venetian power along the Istrian coast; according to another, the gift of a ring by Pope Alexander III to Doge Sebastiano Ziani - the greatest of Venice’s medieval doges - to sanction Venice’s authority in the Adriatic, in gratitude for Ziani’s support for the Pope against the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa (Pope and Emperor were reconciled in San Marco on Ascension Day 1177). The Bucintoro was rowed in procession out of the lagoon into the Adriatic, where the Doge cast a ring blessed by the Patriarch into the waters, symbolising the marriage of Venice to the sea. The Bucintoro depicted here was to be the last, constructed in 1728-9 and crowded with gilded wooden allegorical sculptures by Antonio Corradini. After the fall of Venice to Napoleon’s army in 1797, the upper part of the Bucintoro was burnt to recover the gold, after which the Austrians armed the hulk with cannon and placed it to guard the entrance to the lagoon. It was finally broken up in its birthplace, the Arsenale, in 1824. The view is taken from some way out in the Bacino, directly in front of the Zecca, the south façade of which is seen to the left together with the Libreria. Beyond is the Campanile, shortened to fit it into the painting (four small windows serving the staircase running up the shaft should be visible). In the Piazzetta is the marquee of the Ascension Day market, clearly regarded as an integral part of the festival. Beyond are the Torre dell’Orologio and the south flank of San Marco, with the western dome reduced in size and moved eastwards to be largely obscured by the Palazzo Ducale. To the right of the Palazzo Ducale (much diminished in width) are the Prigioni and Palazzo Dandolo (today the Hotel Danieli); moored to the left of the Bucintoro with its oars raised is the fusta, the Doge’s usual single-masted galleon.
Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto, was a Venetian painter who specialised in vedute, or cityscapes. He is considered one of the greatest painters of the 18th century and is particularly famous for his depictions of Venice, which he captured with remarkable accuracy and detail. Canaletto was born into a family of painters and was trained by his father, Bernardo Canal. He began his career as a painter of theatrical scenes before turning to veduta. His early work was influenced by the Dutch painter Gerrit Berckheyde, but he later developed his own distinctive style. Canaletto's paintings are characterised by precise architectural detail, luminous skies and vibrant colours. He often painted the same views repeatedly, capturing different times of day and seasons. His work was highly sought after by wealthy collectors and he received commissions from prominent figures such as King George III of England. Despite his success, Canaletto experienced financial difficulties in the latter part of his career and was forced to sell many of his paintings at low prices. He eventually moved to England, where he continued to paint vedute of London and other English cities. Today, Canaletto's paintings are highly regarded and can be found in major museums around the world, including the National Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
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