The splendour of Venetian festivals and ceremonies

The rich European travellers who made up the vedutisti’s main clientele saw Venice primarily as a city of festivities. Events such as religious ceremonies and the arrival of prominent ambassadors produced the sort of splendid celebrations that the Serenissima become so famous for (Canaletto, Regatta on the Grand Canal, Burham, The Bowes Museum).

For Canaletto and Guardi, these ceremonies also provided ideal opportunities to paint highly decorative monuments and architectural elements in the midst of large and colourfully dressed crowds. With their views of the city’s squares, churches and canals, Canaletto and Guardi immortalised the incomparable enchantment and elegance of 18th century Venice.