Landschap met wagen op brug 1707 - 1768

This landscape with a wagon on a bridge was etched by Canaletto, probably in Venice, sometime in the mid-18th century. Canaletto was known for his paintings, often grand views of the city, made for wealthy tourists. But here, he uses a very different medium. Etching involves covering a metal plate with a waxy ground, then drawing through it with a needle to expose the metal. The plate is then bathed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. When printed, these lines hold the ink, creating the image. The technique allowed Canaletto to produce multiple images that captured the everyday life of Venice, scenes of labor and transport, and which appealed to a different market than his paintings. The linear quality of the etching captures the textures of the stone bridge, the movement of the water, and the weight of the wagon. The print is a reminder that even the most celebrated artists engage with different modes of production, blurring the lines between fine art and more accessible forms of visual culture.