painting (oil): ["The Grand Canal, Venice"]

Urban landscape. A view of the Canal and its surrounding buildings. On the left stand tall, old houses with ornate Venetian stonework around the balconies and windows and doorsteps leading straight down to the water's edge. This left bank of the Canal stretches off into the centre distance. The expanse of water in the foreground is empty, but there are some gondolas in the middle distance. On the right bank, in the distance, is the white dome of a church and more large waterside buildings. On the extreme right, in the foreground, are three blue mooring posts. "This is one of Bonington's most favoured views of Venice; other versions exist at the National Gallery of Scotland (Cat. 90 ["Venice: Grand Canal" (NG2164)]), the Ashmolean Museum and in various private collections. It is possible that it is a first studio version, worked up in Paris from an on-site sketch in oil (Ashmolean Museum) for a large oil painting commissioned by James Carpenter in 1826.This commission was displayed at the Paris Salon in 1827 and at the Royal Academy in 1828. It can be seen on an easel in Thomas Shotter Boys’ drawing of Bonington’s studio (Cat.148."Bonington’s atelier, Paris. Rue des Martyrs" [Trustees of the British Museum (1952-5-10-9)])" (Cambridge 2002). Gilded and patinated wooden frame, glazed. Lord Maugham; Arthur Tooth & Sons by 1951, from whom purchased, 1958.