The River Thames with St Paul's Cathedral on Lord Mayor's Day

River Thames with St Paul's Cathedral on Lord Mayor's Day by Canaletto. This amazing piece of art was completed in the year 1746. Canaletto was an Italian painter and with that, he brought out the features of Venetian art to this painting.

This made it stand out because the rest of the painters used the traditional English way of doing the job. Canaletto used the Rococo technique which is a style that brings out the motion of a still frame. The style also brings out the drama in the painting. The objects seem like they are moving and telling a story. This is made possible by the detail of the oils. They are drawn using curves and gilding features that provide the motion. This effect is made possible by the kind of oils he used. All of this material, he got from Venice, Italy. This made him very popular in London because the artists were not used to this kind of art thus it looked different.

Canaletto used this painting to bring out the city of London. What makes the painting different is that it tells a story. The characters feel real. The buildings look like they are in motion life. Canaletto brought the city of London to life. He made the River look like it is flowing through the frame. The artwork is really, one of a kind. He brought out what other painters missed. The painting was done by many other English painters but he was more memorable because of the canvas he used. Canaletto understood the work of oils which was difficult to many painters. He used materials that were hard to work with and that is what made his work famous. He had intricate mastery of the art.

The canvas used was russet which was a unique material because the English people loved using a grey one. The Venetian material brought out the warmth of the painting that was captivating. The browns and the beige really brought the picture to life. He used oil paintings and the canvas itself. Canaletto had a friend and Patron Joseph Smith who mentored him and encouraged his work in London. The painting here was done while Canaletto was in Venice that is where he got the russet canvas from. The russet is a custom in Italy. Joseph Smith was a merchant who sold Canaletto's work, King George. This made his work extremely popular in England. Canaletto was expected to paint the fashion and other popular aspects of London at the time.