Prototype scanner reveals inner workings of renowned 18th-century painter
The artistic methods and style of 18th-century Italian painter Giovanni Antonio Canal, commonly known as Canaletto, have been examined and uncovered by researchers at the Centre for Fine Print Research at UWE Bristol using a prototype scanner capable of capturing minute details, textures and brushstrokes that are invisible to the human eye.
Researchers were given the opportunity to trial their scanner on Canaletto’s ‘The Grand Canal, Ascension Day’ oil painting which is currently on display at the Holburne Museum in Bath as part of their ‘Canaletto: Painting Venice’ exhibition. It is the first time in more than 70 years that the paintings have left their home at Woburn Abbey – one of the world’s most important private art collections – giving members of the public the opportunity to see some of Canaletto’s best works up close.
3D scanners are often used by conservators and curators to document and evaluate the condition of paintings and understand artists’ techniques. Information gathered by the scanner can be used to visualise surface texture in ways not previously possible. While most scanners are very costly and capable of examining only small objects or paintings in detail, researchers from UWE Bristol created a cost-effective prototype scanner capable of capturing much larger works, including the Canaletto painting which measures 190cm by 120cm.
The painting was scanned over three days and more than 5,000 up-close images of the painting were captured to create the final scanned images which users can view and interact with online. The final high-resolution images provide a fascinating insight into Canaletto’s working method, particularly his process of incising and outlining the architectural elements of the painting. Meanwhile, shaded images rendered from the surface structure information clearly show the incision lines that were produced while the paint was still wet. These allowed the artist to emphasise architectural details.
Research Fellow, Dr Xavier Aure said: ‘‘It was a privilege to examine and capture one of Canaletto’s masterpieces. The images we have generated using the scanner reveal so much about his working style and process; we can extract information about the surface, see how the artist applied paint and learn more about the way he constructed his work. We also hope to launch an online viewing platform in the near future so that these high-resolution scans can be seen by the public, giving people the chance to engage with Canaletto’s painting remotely which is so important during the pandemic when travel is restricted.’’
Best known for his city view paintings of Venice, Rome and London, Canaletto was a distinguished landscape painter whose works have been known to fetch $20 million at auction.
Related news
16 April 2025
More than 80 UK projects receive nearly £1.2 million in first Immersive Arts funding round
Almost £1.2 million has been allocated to 83 artist-led projects across the UK.
09 April 2025
UWE Bristol academics shaping the future of design across disciplines
Three senior leaders from the College of Arts, Technology and Environment have been appointed to prominent national roles in architecture, art and design.
08 April 2025
Associate Professor named among newest members of UK Young Academy of emerging leaders
The Royal Society has named UWE Bristol’s Dr Alexandros Stratakos, Associate Professor and Principal Investigator in Sustainable Agri-Food Production, as one of the emerging leaders across the UK who are the newest members of the UK Young Academy.
03 January 2025
Big leap forward for environmentally friendly ‘e-textiles’ technology
Research led by UWE Bristol and the University of Southampton has shown wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) can be both sustainable and biodegradable.
04 December 2024
UWE Bristol to lead £1.3 million project to evaluate the use of phone app to help with back pain
UWE Bristol will lead a £1.3 million project to evaluate the effectiveness of using an NHS-recommended smart phone app to help people suffering with low back pain.
20 November 2024
Innovative university-business partnership to power economic growth and devolution for the West of England
A new centre created by the University of Bath with UWE Bristol and Futures West will pioneer new approaches to economic research and data analysis for the West of England.
22 October 2024
‘Life changing’ prosthetic leg developed at UWE Bristol to be trialled at global competition
Researchers from UWE Bristol are preparing to showcase an advanced bio-inspired prosthetic leg they have developed to improve the quality of life for people with above-knee amputations.
17 October 2024
Immersive Arts opens applications with grants up to £50,000 available
Immersive Arts, a UK programme to support artists to make and share extraordinary immersive work, has opened applications for its first round of funding.
15 October 2024
Researchers create 3D printed food for people with swallowing difficulties
Researchers have developed meals suitable for people with dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) using 3D printing technology.
08 October 2024
Robotic clothing to aid walking a step closer after £11m funding
A new hub will develop healthcare technologies to support the independence of older people with in-home, on-body physical assistance devices.
07 October 2024
Opinion: why UWE Bristol is championing immersive arts as a 21st Century artform
A new £3.6m programme will engage artists across the UK to help understand the role that technology can play in driving forward immersive arts.
03 September 2024
World-first rubies grown in situ from waste materials
A UWE Bristol researcher looks set to transform the jewellery industry after successfully growing the world’s first ruby in situ, in a platinum ring.