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Piazza San Marco
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Would you visit Sydney, Australia, or Beijing, China? A popular destination in the 1700s was Venice, Italy. This is a painting of the Piazza San Marco or Saint Mark's Square, a favorite landmark of travelers to Venice. A piazza is a place near the center of a city where vendors sell their goods and people meet to visit and do business.
The artist Antonio Canal (also called Canaletto) made this painting in 1763. He included in the painting many of the buildings that surround the piazza. The corner of the Church of San Marco is on the very left and the bell tower stands tall above the other buildings. People move through the piazza and merchants bargain with customers in their tents. Although the scene looks very realistic, it would be impossible to see everything Canaletto included in the painting by standing in just one place. He combined two views of the piazza, one from the west and one from the south. The result is a painting that is slightly better than the real thing. Canaletto made many paintings like this one that visitors to Venice liked to buy as souvenirs of their trips.
Pretend that you're standing in the Piazza San Marco. Write a story about your imaginary visit. The piazza bustles with activity; what catches your eye? What do you smell and hear? Do you join the other people or do you watch from where you're standing?
You can see this painting when you visit the European art galleries on the second floor of the Ahmanson Building at LACMA.
Search Collections Online for artworks by Antonio Canal.
Image above:
Antonio Canal, called Canaletto (Italy, Venice, 1697-1768), Piazza San Marco Looking South and West, 1763, oil on canvas, 23 1/4 x 40 1/2 in., M.83.39, Gift of the Ahmanson Foundation, Photo © 2006 Museum Associates/LACMA.
Text prepared by the Education Department, LACMA, for the "Kids' Reading Room" (Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2004).
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Welcome to Artwork of the Month! Visit this page every month to explore a new treasure from LACMA's extensive collections.
Artwork of the Month is intended for children but can also be a fun resource for students, teachers, and families who want to learn more about artworks in LACMA's permanent collection and special exhibitions.
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