Art Institute of Chicago

The Ruins of the Pirnaischer Suburb with the Palais Fürstenhof

Bernardo Bellotto

Date

1766

Medium

Etching with engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Culture

Italy

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Known for his majestic urban landscapes, the Venetian born Bernardo Bellotto apprenticed with the famed Canaletto, his uncle. In 1747 Augustus III, king of Poland and elector of Saxony, invited Bellotto to Dresden, where his career quickly took off. Bellotto’s 37 paintings depicting the architecture of the city were part of Augustus’s plan to make Dresden into one of the major capitals of Europe. When the Prussians invaded on the brink of the Seven Years’ War, Bellotto sought refuge and new work in Vienna. Upon returning in 1761, Bellotto found Dresden, its suburbs, and his home destroyed. This print documents his beloved city ruined by war.

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