122. View of the Palace of Saint Mark, Venice,
with Preparations for the Doge’s Wedding.

Oil on canvas. The Earl of Leicester’s Collection,

Holkham Hall, Norfolk.

 

 

At around the same time, the more modest Canaletto left for London where he would remain for some time. This was the time when his nephew arrived there, in his turn, with his assimilating mindset, his art of following his whims, his insinuating, even scheming manners as he sought to exploit his illustrious master and dear uncle’s good and freely-generous influence as much as he could. There is no doubt that Canaletto formed a friendship with Horace Walpole who was, at that point, all-powerful in London because of his bubbly spirit, the originality of his philosophical attitude, his reputation as a humorist and renown as an epistolary and journalistic gentleman. Bernardo Bellotto certainly did not miss this opportunity to solicit a natural benefactor, so perfectly in a position to augment the young artist’s pretensions with numerous commissions.[21]

 

In any event, Bellotto did not stay long in London. In the middle of all his successes, he departed for Vienna where, at the gates of Austria’s capital city, he greatly augmented his social status. From that point on, he had himself announced as Count Bellotto, painter of architecture, nephew and emulator of the famous Canaletto. Ricci had done paintings in Schönbrunn; Bellotto wanted to follow in his footsteps. He worked hard, feasted, and arrived in Munich, where his uncle passed through to greet him and congratulate him on the wonderful path of good fortune he had found in life. The nephew took advantage of this circumstance. He remembered that the celebrated Count Algarotti held Canaletto in high esteem. Algarotti was one of Frederick II’s great friends and he also kept a correspondence with the King of Poland. He used his influence with the Elector of Saxony who, disappointed and upset at his inability to attract the uncle to his court, quickly invited the nephew, infinitely more resourceful and able to adapt to the dazzle of royal courts, to Dresden.

 

In the extravagant Dresden court, the prodigal and fanciful Augustus III, a pleasant and unparalleled aficionado of opera buffa, commissioned more than paintings. Ecstatic for music and painting, he surrounded himself, as soon as he ascended to the throne, with a crowd of singers, dancers, actors and actresses anxious to please him. Bellotto came at just the right moment to complete an academy of Italians. The light atmosphere of this pleasantly frivolous, artistic and highly-cultured Saxon court suited Bellotto, filled with desire to nab the coveted title of “the royal painter”. He quickly achieved just that. This subtle Venetian had just turned thirty. One can imagine that he was an amiable companion, a gallant and seductive gentleman and even a bit boastful. His time at the Elector’s court, considering the lavish life they lived on the banks of the Elbe, the continuous festivities, the good fortune that he did not fail to profit from, all the esteem conferred on him and the success that welcomed his truly dignified works, probably represents the happiest time of his life.