Vaprio d'Adda is north of Milan. On the right is the village of Canonica d'Adda and in the center is the Villa Melzi, where Leonardo da Vinci frequently visited his pupil Francesco Melzi. On drawings made to record the composition, Bellotto noted that the picture and its pendant were painted in 1744 for Count Simonetta in Milan. This second picture, now in the Crespi collection, Milan, is a different view of the same locality.

Bellotto was not only Canaletto's pupil but also the son of his sister Fiorenza. The nephew's landscapes are equally methodical in plotting and handling, but cooler in tone.

Open full-size image