St. Paul’s Cathedral
ca. 1754
Canaletto, the Italian master famous for his sun-drenched Venetian canals, traded gondolas for London carriages in this bustling 1754 scene of St. Paul’s Cathedral. You can almost hear the chatter of the elegantly dressed Londoners and the clatter of horse-drawn coaches gathering in the square. He actually moved to London for nearly a decade because the War of the Austrian Succession dried up his wealthy Italian patrons, making this a fascinating glimpse into his 'London period' where he captured the grandeur of Christopher Wren’s masterpiece with his signature precise detail.
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