Wicken.
_Canaletto's Views round London._--Antonio Canaletto, the painter of
Venice, the destruction of one of whose most powerful works has been of
late the subject of so much agitation, was here amongst us in this city
one hundred years since; as seen by his proposal in one of the journals
of 1752:
"Signior Canaletto gives notice that he has painted Chelsea
College, Ranelagh House, and the River Thames; which, if any
gentleman, or others, are pleased to favour him with seeing the
same, he will attend at his lodgings at Mr. Viggans, in Silver
Street, Golden Square, from fifteen days from this day, July 31,
from 8 to 1, and from 3 to 6 at night, each day."
Here is that able artist's offer in his own terms, if, not his own
words.
I have to inquire, are these pictures left here to the knowledge of your
readers? did he, in short, find buyers as well as admirers? or, if not,
did he return to Venice with those (no doubt) vividly pictured
recollections of our localities under his arm?