Westminster Abbey with a Procession of Knights of the Bath by Canaletto

This grandiose composition is spectacularly part of the eighteenth-century vedutismo movement, illustrating the pomp of English religious ceremonies. Under the temporary name of “Westminster Abbey with a Procession of Knights of the Bath”, the genius artist Canaletto immortalizes the procession of the Knights of the Bath in London. The work bears witness to an incredible documentary richness, capturing the alliance of political power and British religious solemnity of the time.

The imposing gothic facade of Westminster Abbey raises its two tall white stone towers under a blue sky dotted with white clouds. In the foreground, a long procession of knights dressed in spectacular blood-red silk cloaks advances in an elegant curve. A compact crowd of onlookers and aristocrats in period dresses and tricorn hats surrounds the procession on the paved esplanade. On the left, tall red brick houses limit the square, housing spectators leaning out of the windows. The bright daylight sharply carves the details of the gothic sculptures.

The artist deploys here an extraordinary talent in organizing this complex crowd and rendering the minute details of the ceremonial costumes. His oil painting technique excels at making the bright red of the cloaks sing against the grey stone. It is an absolute masterpiece of his production.