A View of Northumberland House, Charing Cross etc.

Location

Country: France
City: Paris
Place: British Embassy

Giovanni Antonio Canal (Canaletto) was born in Venice, the son of a scenery painter. He probably trained under his father and assisted his father in Venice and later Rome, before returning to Venice to join the Venetian painter’s guild. His early works were mainly ‘capricci’, sold locally. During the 1720s he began painting Venetian views and met his foremost patron; Englishman Joseph Smith. Smith lived on the Grand Canal and built up the most important collection of Canaletto’s work. It was sold to George III in 1762 and remains in the Royal Collection. Canaletto moved to London in 1746, living in Soho for ten years. In 1763, after returning to Venice, he was elected to the Venetian Academy and appointed head of the Collegio dei Pittori.
Thomas Bowles, designer and engraver, was the son a print publisher, also named Thomas Bowles (1689/90-1767). Bowles junior was born in London and trained as an engraver. He engraved botanical plates for ‘Pomona, or, The Fruit-Garden Illustrated’ (1729) and produced numerous topographical engravings. Bowles is chiefly known for his designs for 30 published views of the principal buildings in London, most of which he engraved himself. He was also a skilled scene painter. He died in December 1762 and was survived by his wife, Margaret, and his father.

Places

England, London

Subjects

wheel, carriage, horseback, cart, statue (as Subject), sculpture (as Subject), topography, townscape/cityscape, dog, horse, boy, man, woman, basket, signage, railing, street, monument, shop, house, cobbles, chimney, table (as Subject)

Materials & Techniques

engraving

Artist

Canaletto (1697 - 1768)
Thomas Bowles (1712 - 1767)

Title

A View of Northumberland House, Charing Cross etc.

Date

published 1753

Medium

Engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from Kenneth Darlaston, January 1986

GAC number

16444