The Thames from the Terrace of Somerset House 2 by Canaletto

This exceptional painting is fully part of the prestigious eighteenth-century vedutismo movement during the artist's English stay. Under the provisional title of “The Thames from the Terrace of Somerset House 2”, the famous Italian painter Canaletto represents the majestic course of the Thames in London. The work bears witness to a deep interest in the monumental architecture of the British capital and for its continuous river activity during this flourishing era.

On the left, elegant figures in silk jackets and pannier dresses stroll on the elevated terrace of Somerset House. A small brown dog runs joyfully on the stone-paved quay near the strollers. The wide and shimmering Thames is crowded with numerous transport boats and imported gondolas steered by active sailors. In the background, the imposing silhouette of Saint Paul's Cathedral raises its majestic dome above the skyline. A clear sky of great lightness, veiled with fine whitish clouds, softly illuminates the river and the distant buildings.

The artist deploys an incomparable expertise in the treatment of river perspective and the British atmospheric light. His oil painting technique renders with extraordinary realism the fluidity of the water and the texture of the brick architectures. It is an absolute masterpiece.