The next Gallery talk will be given by Charles Martindale, Chair of the Friends, on Piazza san Martino, Lucca, by Bernardo Bellotto.

Charles has provided this introduction to his talk: ‘This painting, recently returned from an extended tour in Japan, is one of the highlights of the Gallery’s permanent collection. This talk will explore various matters: how was it acquired for York? Who was Bellotto, and why is he little known in Britain in comparison with his uncle Canaletto? What are the characteristics of his art? The work is a personal favourite of mine, partly because I judge it beautiful as well as well-crafted, partly for reasons to do with my life story and overall cultural preferences; these are judgements of a different kind, but both in my view have their role to play in our aesthetic response to works of art.’

Bernardo Bellotto (1722-80), The Piazza San Martino, Lucca, 1742-1746, oil on canvas, 50.8cm x 72cm. Photo credit: York Museums Trust