Bellotto: The Königstein Views Reunited

Bernardo Bellotto, The Fortress of Königstein from the South-West, 1756–8, oil on canvas. Reproduced courtesy of the Rt Hon. The Earl of Derby 2021 / Photo: © 2015 Christie’s Images Limited.

Bellotto: The Königstein Views Reunited brings together for the first time in more than 250 years the five paintings produced by the artist of this historic site – a stronghold approximately 25 miles south-east of Dresden - including the National Gallery’s recently acquired view from the north, .  

Painted at the height of Bellotto’s career, when he was court painter to August III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, these views were commissioned as part of a larger series of 30 views of Dresden and its surroundings. For many years Bellotto was overlooked, in favour of his more famous uncle and master, Canaletto. Today he is recognised as one of the most distinctive artistic personalities of the 18th century. Applying what he had learnt in Venice to his highly original panoramic depictions of northern Europe, Bellotto took the tradition of view painting in an entirely new direction.