The Stonemason’s Yard, a masterpiece by the Italian painter Canaletto, has gone on show in Wales for the first time as part of The National Library of Wales’ Idyll and Industry exhibition.
However, while it’s the first time the painting has been displayed to the public in Wales, it’s not the artwork’s first visit to our country.
Some 80 years ago, in the midst of the second world war, the painting, which has been part of the permanent collection in The National Gallery in London since the 1820s, was transported to Wales to protect it from the bombing raids that were wreaking havoc upon the English capital. It was stored, along with around 2,000 other priceless artworks from London galleries and museums, in a slate mine in Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales, where it waited out the war in safety.
Now, the painting has returned to Wales under more positive circumstances, featuring as the star of a new exhibition at the The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, thanks to a loan deal with The National Gallery to mark the institution’s 200th anniversary.
The oil painting depicts a temporary stonemason’s yard near the Grand Canal in Venice, and was painted in the early 18th century by Canaletto, the most famous Venetian painter of his day. The painting is appearing in the exhibition alongside nearly 100 additional works from Wales’ National Art Collection, creating a showcase that delves into the concept of industry’s impact on landscapes, while also highlighting the historic connection between The Stonemason’s Yard and Wales.
Speaking about the exhibition, Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said, ‘This promises to be a very special exhibition and we are extremely grateful to be working in partnership with the National Gallery.’
‘It is an honour to have one of Canaletto's masterpieces here, and displaying the work alongside some of the highlights of the National Art Collection in the library creates a great opportunity to appreciate the richness and diversity of the Welsh experience and the responses to that in art,’ he added.
The exhibition will take place in the beautiful Gregynog Gallery in The National Library of Wales from 10 May until 7 September 2024, with accompanying events set to be announced on the library’s official website. The event will also be the library’s first to include an audio-described tour for a selection of items on display, as part of the venue’s ambition to become increasingly accessible and inclusive.
Learn more about the many museums and galleries of Wales.