A West View of London with the Bridge, taken from Somerset Gardens / Vue de la Ville et du Pont de Londres, du côté du Jardin de Somerset

Canaletto (1697 - 1768)
Edward Rooker (1712 - 1774)

Coloured engraving

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Image of A West View of London with the Bridge, taken from Somerset Gardens / Vue de la Ville et du Pont de Londres, du côté du Jardin de Somerset
  • About the work
    Location
    Country: UK
    City: London
    Place: Government Art Collection
  • About the artist
    Giovanni Antonio Canal (Canaletto) was born in Venice, the son of a scenery painter. He probably trained under his father and assisted his father in Venice and later Rome, before returning to Venice to join the Venetian painter’s guild. His early works were mainly ‘capricci’, sold locally. During the 1720s he began painting Venetian views and met his foremost patron; Englishman Joseph Smith. Smith lived on the Grand Canal and built up the most important collection of Canaletto’s work. It was sold to George III in 1762 and remains in the Royal Collection. Canaletto moved to London in 1746, living in Soho for ten years. In 1763, after returning to Venice, he was elected to the Venetian Academy and appointed head of the Collegio dei Pittori.
    Little is known of the early life of Edward Rooker. He was a pupil of engraver Henry Roberts, in High Holborn, while simultaneously pursuing a career in acting. Between 1748 and 1749, he engraved drawings after designs by Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren. He appeared on stage at the New Wells Theatre in 1749 and, by 1752, had joined the company at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. His career as an engraver continued with plates for William Chambers’ ‘Designs of Chinese Buildings’ (1757) and James Stuart’s ‘Antiquities of Athens’ (1762). He collaborated with Paul and Thomas Sandby on ‘Six London Views’, and again with Thomas for illustrations to Tasso’s ‘Jerusalem Delivered’. He died unexpectedly, at around the time of 50th birthday.
  • Explore
    Places
    England, London
    Subjects
    Materials & Techniques
    engraving, coloured engraving
  • Details
    Artist
    Canaletto (1697 - 1768)
    Edward Rooker (1712 - 1774)
    Title
    A West View of London with the Bridge, taken from Somerset Gardens / Vue de la Ville et du Pont de Londres, du côté du Jardin de Somerset
    Date
    Medium
    Coloured engraving
    Acquisition
    Transferred from HM Revenue and Customs, 2017
    Provenance
    Uncertain; in Somerset House (Inland Revenue) before 1945, possibly Ministry of Works origin
    GAC number
    0/168