For young British aristocrats, the artist’s paintings of his native Venice where the must-have souvenirs of the “Grand Tour” of Europe.
The place to order one was the palazzo of his British agent Joseph Smith, where examples of the artist’s best work covered the walls like photographs in a tourist restaurant menu.
If you like the third one on the left, Smith would deal with the artist and get something similar delivered to your country house in Shropshire.
In 1762, King George III bought Smith’s entire art collection. It is still the in The Royal Collection and is on show in it’s entirety in the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, which runs until November 12.
The relationship between the artist and his agent at the heart of this engrossing accompanying documentary which is in selected cinemas on Tuesday, September 26.
Using interviews with curators and historians, it explains the artist’s techniques, charts his popularity and places him within the tradition of Venetian art.
Sadly, there isn’t much here about the man himself, who stayed frustrating clear of scandal and left no personal letters for art historians to pour over.
But the Queen’s priceless collection tell some fascinating stories.
Visits to modern-day Venice and expert analysis of the paintings and the sketches show how the master tinkered with perspectives and occasionally moved buildings in order to frame the perfect landscape.
Director David Bickerstaff also teases out an argument that the artist, often overlooked for his “chocolate box” style, might have been more avant-garde than his customers bargained for.
Daily Express :: Entertainment Feed
