View of a Town

Bellotto composed capriccios, whimsical views of imaginary landscapes, combining architectural features of various locations. Here, ancient Roman ruins appear next to northern European church architecture of a later date. The figures of the three peasants in the foreground, which appear in other works by Bellotto, were painted over at some point in the painting’s past. When the painting entered the Huntington collection, conservation work revealed the hidden figures. Bellotto was the nephew and student of the celebrated Venetian view painter Canaletto, whose work can be seen in this room.