Rio dei Mendicanti: Looking South 1725

Canaletto made this oil painting, *Rio dei Mendicanti: Looking South*, to show everyday life in eighteenth-century Venice. While Canaletto is known for topographical accuracy, this piece tells us about the city's social fabric. The Rio dei Mendicanti, or canal of the beggars, was named for the large hospital, or *Ospedale*, located on its banks. These charitable institutions were important centers of Venetian life, taking in orphans, the poor, and the sick. The art and architecture were supported by wealthy benefactors, and performances by the *Ospedali's* famous all-female choirs were a popular tourist attraction. Through paintings such as this, we gain insights into the complex interplay of charity, patronage, and social control in Venice. To fully understand art, we look beyond the surface, using sources such as period documents, letters, and economic records. This provides us with an insight into how art both reflects and shapes its own social and institutional context.