View of the Grand Canal by William James

William James
Fl. 1754-1771 | British 

View of the Grand Canal, Venice, with San Geremia and the Entrance to the Cannaregio 

Oil on canvas 

This luminous Venetian scene was painted by the celebrated 18th-century British artist William James. He was renowned for his highly detailed and brightly colored canvases that captured iconic views of the famed City of Water.

In this work, James renders the Grand Canal and the entrance to the Cannaregio Canal, which was the principal route from central Venice to mainland Italy in the 18th century. The Ponte di Cannaregio spans the famous waterway, bustling with pedestrians and gondolas that flow beneath it. The church and campanile of San Geremia, the Palazzo Labia and the Palazzo Querini detti Papozze are all included, rendered with the thoroughness and precision for which James' best works are renowned.

Though he is known to have been active in London between 1754 and 1771, very little else is known about James’ personal life. What is known is that he never left England, relying on the images of other artists to create his own, unique interpretations. A student of the London artist Samuel Scott, he was also a pupil of the great Venetian painter Canaletto, who undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on James' output. The influence of Canaletto is particularly evident in this composition, which closely resembles a painting by Canaletto that is now found in the British Royal Collection.

Thanks to a British fervor for all things Italian in the 18th century, James' works gained him a great deal of attention, and he exhibited at the Society of Artists of Great Britain from 1761 to 1768 and at the Royal Academy from 1769 to 1771. He was invited to become a member of the Society of Artists in 1766. His works now belong to prestigious museums, including the Yale Center for British Art, the Royal Collection at Hampton Court and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

18th century

Canvas: 14 1/4” high x 24 3/8” wide (36.2 x 61.8 cm)
Frame: 22 1/2” high x 32 1/2” wide x 3 3/8” deep (57.2 x 82.6 x 8.5 cm)

Provenance:
Private collection, London
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Private collection, United States