Bernardo Bellotto (1721-1780) received his first training in the Venetian studio of his mother's brother, the famous Antonio Canal (Canaletto). The beginnings of his artistic career were inextricably linked to his uncle, whose vedutas he studied in depth. Around 1742, he went to Rome to continue his painterly education. In 1748, he became court painter in Dresden. The artistic patronage of King August III of Poland fostered a cosmopolitan atmosphere and enriched the already refined Saxon court. In Saxony, Bellotto created impressive cycles of vedutas. He stayed there, with interruptions, for a total of a dozen years. In 1768, he became court painter to the Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski. He was nicknamed 'Canaletto' in Warsaw.

The Zwinger, which houses many works by the Venetian-born artist, is worth mentioning at this point. The Late Baroque architectural ensemble was commissioned by the Saxon Elector and Polish King Augustus II the Strong. After reconstruction in the mid-19th century, the exhibition space (including for the extensive painting collection) was enlarged. The complex was destroyed during the bombing of Dresden on 13-14 February 1945. After reconstruction, it once again impresses the citizens of Dresden and visitors with its architecture and its world-famous museum collections, e.g. the famous 'Sistine Madonna' by Raphael Santi in the Old Masters' Picture Gallery (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister).

Paintings in the Zwinger :

• "View of Dresden with Augustus Bridge ", 1747, oil, canvas; 132 x 236 cm; inv. no. 602.
• "Dresden from the right bank of the Elbe ", 1748, oil, canvas; 133 x 237 cm; inv. no. 606.
• "Old market square ", 1749, oil, canvas; 137 x 239 cm; inv. no. 614.
• "Marketplace at Neustadt ", 1749-1750, oil, canvas; 134 x 236 cm; inv. no. 612.
• "Courtyard of the Zwinger ", 1751-1752, oil, canvas; 134 x 237 cm; inv. no. 629.
• 'Elba between Pirna and Pillnitz ', 1766, oil, canvas; 105 x 136.5 cm; inv. no. 638A.

Painting "Moat at the Zwinger" in the Bundeswehr Military-Historical Museum
. The museum that houses the painting in question is one of the most famous museums in eastern Germany, presenting military history (mainly the German army over the centuries). From the Polish point of view, it is worth noting that there are also exhibits from the time of the Polish-Saxon Union, as well as from the bombing of Wieluń (Lodz Voivodeship) on 01 September 1939 by the German Luftwaffe.

Creation time: 1752
Technical data: oil, canvas; 60 x 100 cm