Prato della Valle 1707 - 1768

This print of Prato della Valle was made by Canaletto, the famous Venetian vedute painter, sometime in the 18th century. The Prato, a large, elliptical open space in Padua, reveals much about Venetian power structures at the time. Note how the buildings surrounding the square are rendered with near photographic accuracy, in comparison to the miniscule human figures populating the foreground. This focus on architecture over people is a strong indicator of Venice’s priorities. The print is one of Canaletto’s series of ‘capricci’, or architectural fantasies, and the Prato della Valle would have served as a sort of advertisement for Venetian urban planning and the power of its institutions. To truly understand the art of this time, one needs to look at archival material and treatises on urban design. Only then can we understand the social function of art and architecture.