Santi Giovanni e Paolo and the Scuola di San Marco 1726

This is Canaletto's painting of Santi Giovanni e Paolo and the Scuola di San Marco. It was made with oil on canvas. Canaletto was a master of the vedute, or views, of Venice. Here, he captures not just the likeness of the buildings, but also the social life of the city. Painted sometime in the 18th century, we see the everyday interactions of Venetians from different social strata. The painting functions almost as a social record. The Scuola di San Marco, a confraternity building, would have been a center for social mobility in Venice. It offered opportunities for its members, who were usually common citizens, to gain influence. In its juxtaposition with the church, we see the dual powers of Venice: religious authority and social organization. Understanding a painting like this involves delving into Venice's unique social and institutional history. A look at the records of the Scuola di San Marco would tell us much more about the society documented here.