Canaletto Venice painting owned by first UK prime minister sells for record £32m
"Seldom does a true masterpiece such as this - particularly by a painter as important as Canaletto - appear on the art market," he said."This extraordinary painting of the grandest and most familiar view of Venice, by the city's most recognisable painter, dates to Canaletto's finest period and is as notable for its illustrious provenance as much as for its impeccable condition."The oil on canvas artwork was last sold at an auction in Paris in 1993, fetching what was then a record-breaking 66 million French francs (£7.5m).It formerly came with a partnering pendant, entitled Grand Canal from Palazzo Balbi to the Rialto, which was later sold at Sotheby's in London in 2005 for £18.6m - which was the previous record auction price for a Canaletto.The painting had been expected to sell for around £20m this time around, but exceeded expectations.Canaletto, real name Giovanni Antonio Canal, was born in Venice in 1697 and went on to become a favourite of British art collectors. It is not known how Sir Robert acquired his work but it is though that his son Edward helped to arrange the art deal after having spent time in Venice.The Feast of the Ascension of Christ was a key date in the Venetian calendar until the fall of the Venice Republic in 1797.It would see the Doge of Venice - the elected head of state - use his official galley, Bucintoro, to sail out and cast a ring into the water as a symbol of Venice's marriage to the sea.
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