Painting Once Owned by Britain’s First PM Breaks Auction Record

In a historic moment for the art world, an 18th-century masterpiece by Venetian artist Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto, sold for $44 million at Christie’s in London, setting a new auction record for the artist.

The painting, titled “Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day”, was once part of the collection of Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and hung in 10 Downing Street.

Depicting a vivid ceremonial moment in Venice where the Doge symbolically “married” the sea, the work is considered one of Canaletto’s most iconic renderings of the city.

The auction drew global interest, also featuring a battle-worn Union Jack flown from HMS Spartiate during the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, which sold for nearly $1.5 million.

The sales are part of Christie’s ongoing “Classic Week,” which runs through July 9 and includes rare artworks, historical manuscripts, and museum-grade artifacts.