The Grand Canal from Santa Maria di Nazareth toward Santa Croce

A Scottish duke stands behind this canvas. The gallery links it to a set of six Venetian views that Canaletto probably painted for Francis Scott, Duke of Buccleuch, pictures recorded in the Buccleuch collection until the 20th century. The Bucintoro in this room belongs to the same group. The view starts at the church of Santa Maria di Nazareth, which Venetians call the Scalzi after its barefoot Carmelite friars, and runs down the Grand Canal toward Santa Croce. Set beside the earlier pictures in this room, made for a merchant from Lucca, it shows Canaletto thinning out the crowds and opening up the light. The gallery reads that as a deliberate choice for British buyers, who wanted a clear, orderly view more than picturesque bustle. Across the water rises the green dome of San Simeone Piccolo, a church that was new in those years.