Venezia!

Venezia! Art of the 18th Century presents the finest works from the magnificent collections of eighteenth-century Venetian art in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. Sixty-five paintings, prints and drawings by artists such as Canaletto, Longhi, Guardi and Tiepolo are complemented by superb examples of famous Venetian glass. In the eighteenth century, Venice experienced one last golden age in its already rich cultural history, and the city became a centre for music, theatre, literature and art. This book includes examples of the celebrated vedute - views of Venice painted by artists such as Canaletto and Bellotto, and particularly intended for travellers on the Grand Tour. The capriccio, a fanciful view of the lagoon and aspects of the city, is represented by the delicate work of Francesco Guardi, while painters such as Tiepolo (who also made designs for palaces in St Petersburg) adorned Venice with imposing ceilings and altarpieces. Finally, we see a record of the city's social life, with its balls carnivals and masquerades, in the genre painting of artists such as Longhi. Venezia! Art of the 18th Century provides an attractive and accessible introduction to a key period in Venice's artistic history.