Capriccio con chiesa a tre cupole (Santa Giustina, Padova), 1740 ca.
Original etching inches 5,7 x 8,3 (mm 147 x 211)
Original etching, signed in plate " B.B. called Canaletto f.. " at lower right; Succi 2013 vol. I, no. 4 II (of II); Kozakiewicz 300;
Superb proof in its final state, printed with particular sharpness. The paper lacks a watermark, as happens in small-format works.
Complete and with a small 3 mm margin all around beyond the marginal line. Perfectly preserved.
Bernardo Bellotto, entered the workshop of his uncle Canaletto at a very young age, and he is known to imitate his uncle's style, so much so that the attribution of his youthful paintings is difficult.
In the Capricci the similarity between the two is evident, both in iconographic choice and composition. In the etchings, however, he demonstrates his own identity, breaking away from his uncle's mark with the use of a broader point that imparts greater contrast and a timeless atmosphere to the prints. Later this difference also becomes more evident in Bellotto's wide-angle and imposing approach, compared to the close-up views
of his uncle. Even in the drafting of the sign, the younger man prefers dry, firm lines, while Canaletto is celebrated for an almost tremulous line and the absence of outlines, which give a more evanescent appearance.
From his uncle, Bellotto nevertheless grasps the charm of Venetian landscapes. In fact, his first cycle of etchings captures landscapes and architecture of the Padua area, and for this reason they are known as the Italian Acqueforti group. This passion for his native land, thanks to which he was able to find an artistic identity and let his skill flourish, would not fade. In fact, he would often return to his hometown, between long stays in the capitals of northern and central Italy, to represent its most fascinating aspects. His passion and talent, born and cultivated precisely in his native region, would lead him to international fame when, just 26 years old, he was invited to the court of Dresden by the Polish king Augustus III as his favorite painter. In the following years he would live in various European courts working for the greatest contemporary patrons.