Canaletto

Painted Venice for British visitors on the Grand Tour, in effect inventing the topographical view as a luxury export. He worked partly from a camera obscura and adjusted the geography when the composition wanted it, so the paintings are less reliable as records than their precision suggests. He spent nine years in London when war interrupted the tourist trade.

• Lived: 1697 CE – 1768 CE
• Nationality: italian
• Roles: painter