Bernardo Bellotto
Bernado Bellotto (1720/21 - 1780) was a painter. He was the pupil and nephew of Canaletto, and sometimes also used his name - illegally according to some.His style was characterized by an elaborate capturing of architectural or natural features, as well as the specific quality of each place's lighting.
His career was of strong international character. Traveling through Italy he visited Rome, Florence, Turin, Milan and Verona and created memorable images of each city. From 1747 to 1758 he moved to Dresden, following an invitation of August III, the Elector of Saxony. He created various paintings of the cities Dresden and Pirna and their surroundings. Today, these paintings personate a memory of Dresden's beauty, which was destroyed in the bombing during World War II.
His international reputation grew, and in 1758 he followed an invitation by the Empress Maria Theresa to Vienna, where he created paintings of the city's monuments. Thereafter he worked in Munich and then Dresden, again. His last stay was in Warsaw, beginning in 1766. His paintings of Warsaw where used for rebuilding the city after it's near complete destruction in World War II.
