Piazza San Marco
The Met
Artist: Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)(Italian, Venice 1697–1768 Venice)
Date: late 1720s
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 27 x 44 1/4 in. (68.6 x 112.4 cm)
Credit Line: Purchase, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman Gift, 1988
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A city square with a tall bell tower, a domed church, and many people
Detailed Description
A large, open city square is depicted under a mostly clear blue sky. In the center-right, a very tall, slender bell tower with a green, pointed spire rises prominently, featuring a clock face near its top and arched openings below. To the left and slightly behind the bell tower is a large, ornate church with multiple green domes and intricate architectural details, including arches, columns, and statues on its facade. The vast, paved square is filled with numerous small figures of people, walking, standing, and conversing. Many figures are clustered in groups, while others are more spread out across the square. On the left side, a long, multi-story building with arched ground-floor colonnades extends into the distance. White awnings hang from some of the arches, and several smaller market stalls with white coverings are visible below. On the right side, another long, multi-story building with a more classical facade, featuring columns and windows, stands on the right, also extending into the background. The sky above is a light blue with some faint white clouds, particularly towards the right. The overall color palette is generally muted, with browns, grays, and blues dominating, punctuated by the green of the domes and spire, and the varied colors of the people's clothing.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
