The Interior of the Rotunda, Ranelagh Gardens 1751

Canaletto’s view of the Rotunda at Ranelagh Gardens, shows us an imagined version of London’s high society in oil paint. The painting’s materials are traditional, but the scene it depicts is anything but. Look closely, and you see a vast interior, lined with columns and thronged with people. The Rotunda itself was constructed from timber, brick, and stucco, with large amounts of glass, and iron to hold it all together. These materials would have been made at an industrial scale, and assembled by tradespeople. These workers may have been overlooked at the time, yet they are essential to the construction. The Rotunda was designed as a pleasure garden, a commercial space designed for mass entertainment. This scene captures the energy of a society transforming due to capitalism, and the spaces this system creates. The skilled application of paint enhances the architectural qualities of the design, yet the real construction took place away from the artist's studio. It’s worth remembering that art relies on many forms of making.