"In the age of the Grand Tour and the Enlightenment, it was Giovanni Antonio Canal (1697-1768), known as Canaletto, who made the limpid, radiant light of the city on the lagoon famous far beyond the frontiers of Italy. After early work as a set designer, Canaletto developed veduta painting to its finest flowering. Within Canaletto's oeuvre, these compositions occupy a place somewhere between a rational grasp of reality with impressively accurate topographical detail, and an architectonic fantasy picture. As well as numerous views of squares and canals, the artist celebrates - especially in his 'Solennita dogali', his group of city festivals - Venice's former magnificence, to which he has created a memorable monument."