Narrator: This painting of the magnificent church at the mouth of the Grand Canal in Venice was made around 1750, by Venetian artist Canaletto. He was known for his precisely pictured views of the city, often purchased by “grand tourists” from England, like William Holbech. Chief Curator Emily Beeny:  

Emily Beeny: Like so many wealthy Englishmen of the 18th century, he undertook a journey to and through Italy, hitting its major cultural sites and the same places of cultural pilgrimage that tourists flock to, today. 

Narrator: And just as we do, the Grand Tourists brought objects back to England –paintings, drawings, and sometimes ancient sculptures.  

Emily Beeny: On the one hand they were souvenirs; on the other hand, they were also a way of displaying one's knowledge and worldliness. 

Narrator: 18th century England, with its fast-growing economy and empire, increasingly saw itself as a world leader. 

Emily Beeny: So I think there's a little bit of a sense of demonstrating that all the world and all of the finest things of Europe, particularly, can belong to Englishmen.  

Narrator: This particular painting was made in London, rather than Venice. Some years after his Grand Tour, Holbech, back at home, heard Canaletto was visiting London. He commissioned this Venetian scene to hang in his country mansion. 

Emily Beeny: What I find poignant about this project is that it means this is a picture that isn't so much about Venice, it's about the experience of missing Venice, both for the middle-aged ex-grand tourist, and perhaps for Canaletto himself, living so far from home, under the gray skies of England. I think/the extraordinary blue and pink confectionary sky probably would not have been painted in Venice - it's a little bit of a sort of rosy, imaginary version.