William Marlow

Capriccio: St Paul’s and a Venetian Canal

?c.1795

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

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Not on display

Artist: William Marlow 1740–1813
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 1295 x 1041 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Purchased 1954
Reference: N06213

Display caption

This is an architectural fantasy ('capriccio'), combining the most instantly recognisable element of the London skyline - St Paul's - with a Venetian canal. The artist, who specialised in city views, may be drawing attention to parallels between Renaissance Venice and modern London. Both cities were made wealthy through international commerce, so Marlow's picture could be interpreted as a fantasy of the ultimate imperial city.

Gallery label, October 2002

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