Painted in the mid-1760s, at the height of the artist’s career, this monumental oil is one of the celebrated pair of views of the Grand Canal at the Rialto acquired in 1768 by Chaloner Arcedeckne (c.1743-1804) during his Grand Tour.
They passed by descent until 1891 when the pair was sold privately via Christie’s for £3850 to Sir Edward Cecil Guinness (1847-1927).
The Guinness family sold its pendant, A View of the Rialto Bridge Looking North From the Fondamenta del Carbon through Sotheby’s in 2011 for £26.7m.