“The Grand Canal, Venice” by J. M. W. Turner

“The Grand Canal, Venice” by J. M. W. Turner was painted on his second visit to Venice, probably in 1833. Turner created a series of views of the city that displayed his interest in capturing a scene through the lens of his Romantic sensibility.

Turner was the master in portraying nature with dramatic light and color that permeates most of his paintings.

This painting is renowned for the way the foundations of the palaces of Venice merge into the waters of the canal through subtle reflections.

This painting was shown in 1835 at the Royal Academy, where it was well-received as one of his “most agreeable works.”

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner, later more commonly called J. M. W. Turner, entered the Royal Academy of Art in 1789, aged 14, and his first watercolor was accepted for the Royal Academy summer exhibition of 1790 when Turner was 15.

From a young art student trained in executing topographical watercolors, he became one of the most original artists of his time.

Turner was a Romantic painter, printmaker, and watercolorist, today known for his vivid coloration, imaginative landscapes, and turbulent marine paintings.

As a private, eccentric, and reclusive figure, Turner was controversial throughout his career. He left over 2,000 paintings and 19,000 drawings and sketches.

Grand Canal of Venice

The Grand Canal is a channel of water that divides Venice, Italy, and forms one of the significant water-traffic corridors for the city.

One end of the canal leads into the lagoon near the railway station, and the other end leads into the basin at San Marco.

In between the two ends, it makes a large S shape through the central districts of Venice. It is 3.8 km (2.4 mi) long and 30 to 90 m (98 to 295 ft) wide, with an average depth of 5 meters (16 feet).

The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with nearly 170 buildings, most of which date from the 13th to the 18th century, which represent the wealth and architecture created by the Republic of Venice during its height of power.

Venetian families competed to show off their wealth with palazzos facing the Grand Canal., also the churches along the canal include many famous basilicas.

Most of the palazzos emerge from water without pavement. Because most of the city’s traffic goes along the Canal rather than across it, only one bridge crossed the canal until the 19th century, the Rialto Bridge.

The Grand Canal, Venice

Title: The Grand Canal, Venice
Alternative: Venice, from the Porch of Madonna della Salute
Artist: J. M. W. Turner
Date: 1835
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 36 x 48 1/8 in. (91.4 x 122.2 cm)
Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art – MET

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Name: Joseph Mallord William Turner
Born: 1775 – Covent Garden, London, England
Died: 1851 (aged 76) – Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, England
Nationality: English
Movement: Romanticism
Notable works:
- The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons
- The Fighting Temeraire
- Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino
- The Burning of the Houses of Parliament
- Newport Castle
- The Grand Canal, Venice
- Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway
- Dido Building Carthage
- Snow Storm: Steamboat off a Harbour’s Mouth
- The Slave Ship
- Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps
- The Decline of the Carthaginian Empire
- Whalers
- Venice, the Bridge of Sighs