Park Lane.
During the residence of Antonio Canaletto at Venice, he painted a number of
pictures, at low prices, for Joseph Smith, Esq., the British consul; but
that gentleman retailed those paintings at an enormous profit to English
travellers. Canaletto finding this out, was induced to visit a country
where his talents were so much appreciated. He accordingly came to England
in the year 1746, being then about fifty years of age. He remained with us
six or seven years (not _two_, as stated by Walpole), and during that
period received great encouragement from the English nobility. His
delineations of London and its environs, especially those of Thames scenery
(of which he seems to have been very fond), are deservedly admired. Two of
these are at Goodwood, and another (Parliament Street, looking towards
Charing Cross) is in the Buccleuch Collection. Several London paintings
were, at the beginning of the present century, in the possession of the
Hon. Percy Wyndham. Some others are to be found in the royal collections,
and in those of many noblemen and gentlemen of fortune.