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Canaletto

Capriccio: A Street Crossed by Arches (recto) Sketches of Doorway, Staircase and Second Floor of Building(verso)

c. 1720
Pen and brush and brown ink, with brush and gray wash, over graphite, on ivory laid paper
29.4 × 20.8 cm (11.6 × 8.2 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Canaletto made many finished drawings with pen and wash; sometimes they depict an actual scene, but just as often they contain more than a touch of fantasy. This capriccio may be based on reminiscences of the little town of Chioggia.

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