The Bucintoro, the State Barge, is depicted returning to the quayside in front of the Doge’s Palace, Venice. On board are the Doge and members of the Senate returning from the Ascension Day ceremony of the Sposalizio del Mare (the marriage of the Venetian Republic to the Adriatic Sea).

Various ambassadorial gondolas are in attendance. The gondola in the foreground carries the French Royal arms. This may suggest that the painting was commissioned by the French Ambassador to Venice, Jacques-Vincent Languet, Comte de Gergy (1667-1734).

Provenance: Purchased with assistance from The National Art Collections Fund, V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Giovanni Antonio Canal “Canaletto” (1697-1768)
Date: c. 1730

Image Details
Date: 12 May 2024
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 250
Licensing: Image of a Bowes Museum asset. This image cannot be licensed.