The movement towards simplicity and nature began to emanate into the art world, as the style once again returned to the Old Masters. In these years, Rome was the epicentre of all artistic endeavours, but in Venice, too, an impressive art scene was again beginning to develop. The character of Venetian painting in the 18th century was determined by the artists, who strove to accurately depict society. Three of the most famous painters in Venice were without doubt Francesco Guardi, Pietro Longhi (1702-1785) and, of course, Canaletto.
Guardi captured almost impressionistically the image of the city at various times of the day and in various seasons of the year; Longhi focused more on people, regardless of their rank and name, and showed them as they went about their business of the moment; and Canaletto concentrated on the city itself, with its churches, palaces, bridges, alleyways and corners. Also in this group were the poet Carlo Gozzi (1720-1806), the librettist Da Ponte (1749-1838) and finally Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798), who introduced us not only to the patrician houses but also familiarised us with the cafes, cloisters and the tiny dwellings of the thrifty citizens.
The oldest in this group of famous Venetian painters is Antonio Canal, whose nickname Canaletto can be traced back to his views of Venetian canals with their adjacent churches and palaces, and who thus created a special kind of architectural painting. He began his career, just like his father, as a painter of scenery for the stage. Influenced by Giovanni Panini (1691-1765), he moved to Rome at the age of twenty, and stayed there for the rest of his life. Canaletto had many pupils, including Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Hubert Robert. He specialised initially in veduta, maintaining loyalty to the spectacular views of his hometown of Venice. Typical of his work was the contrast between light and shadow. Many of his views were simply pictures of the city, while others were depictions of celebrations or ceremonies. He always stands out because of the way in which his work is so true to reality, which can partially be attributed to his use of a “camera obscura” to capture perspective accurately.