Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore
by Francesco Guardi, 1775
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1775
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 45 cm × 75 cm
Cite or Embed This Work
APA · MLA · Chicago1-click academic citation and embeddable “On View” museum badge for articles, syllabi, and research.
Italian painter Canaletto painted this luminous view of Venice around 1730, showing the Dogana da Mar (customs house) and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore across the lagoon. The scene captures the busy waterfront with gondolas and trading vessels, while the distinctive domed church rises against a pale blue sky. Canaletto's precise architectural detail and mastery of light made him the most celebrated view painter of his age.
This veduta exemplifies the artist's ability to combine topographical accuracy with atmospheric beauty. The golden afternoon light bathes the buildings in warm tones, while subtle reflections animate the water's surface. Now in the National Gallery in London, the painting was likely commissioned by an English collector on the Grand Tour.
More by Francesco Guardi
View all →T
The Piazza San Marco towards the Basilica
Francesco Guardi
National Gallery, London
C
Carnival Thursday on the Piazzetta
Francesco Guardi
Louvre, Paris, Paris
S
San Cristoforo, San Michele and Murano, Seen from the Fondamenta Nuove
Francesco Guardi
Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich
C
Capriccio with Venetian Motifs
Francesco Guardi
Private Collection, Unknown
Also at National Gallery
View all →T
The Piazza San Marco towards the Basilica
Francesco Guardi
National Gallery, London
T
The Japanis Bridge (Footbridge over the Water-Lily Pond)
Claude Monet
National Gallery, London
J
Jesus Christ s Body Carried to the Tomb
Rembrandt van Rijn
National Gallery, London
M
Miraculous Draught of Fishes
Raphael
National Gallery, London
Related Works
Works that share an artist, movement, museum, genre, palette or theme with Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore.
- Same artist
- Similar themes
The Molo and the Riva degli Schiavoni from the Bacino di San Marco
Francesco Guardi
- Same artist
- Similar themes
The Grand Canal, Looking toward the Rialto Bridge
Francesco Guardi
- Same artist
- Similar themes
The Lagoon from the Fondamenta Nuove
Francesco Guardi
- Same museum
- Similar themes
The Grand Canal and the Church of the Salute
Canaletto, 1730
- Same museum
The Fighting Temeraire
J.M.W. Turner, 1839
- Same museum
Rain, Steam and Speed
J.M.W. Turner, 1844
- Same museum
The Ambassadors
Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533
- Same museum
The Hay Wain
John Constable, 1821
- Same museum
Arnolfini Portrait
Jan van Eyck, 1434
- Same museum
Bathers at Asnières
Georges Seurat, 1884
- Same museum
Sunflowers
Vincent van Gogh, 1888
- Same museum
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
Édouard Manet, 1882
About Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore
This painting hangs at the National Gallery in London. The museum holds several important Canalettos, reflecting the artist's popularity with 18th-century British collectors who discovered him during their Grand Tours of Italy.
Canaletto created this veduta around 1730 at the height of his career. Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, specialized in precise views of Venice that combined architectural accuracy with atmospheric effects.
The painting depicts the Dogana da Mar, Venice's historic customs house at the entrance to the Grand Canal, and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore on its island. Both landmarks remain standing today and look much as Canaletto painted them.
A veduta is a highly detailed, large-scale painting of a cityscape or landscape. The genre flourished in 18th-century Venice, where artists like Canaletto created views for wealthy tourists who wanted souvenirs of their Italian travels.
Own Art Like This
Luxury wall art with the same mood and energy. Gallery-quality canvas, no museum crowds.
Browse Collection