The great Venetian painter Antonio Canaletto used the camera obscura - the predecessor of the photographic camera - to make sketches on site. These formed the basis of his finished drawings and paintings. Philip Steadman has built a replica of an 18th-century camera obscura and used it to make drawings at places painted by Canaletto in London. He will explain exactly how the artist worked with the instrument, not only to produce his views of real places but also - surprisingly - his imaginary scenes, the ‘capricci.’

About the speaker: Emeritus Professor of Urban and Built Form Studies, Energy Institute, Bartlett School of Energy, Environment and Resources, University College London

Watch online: Book a free ticket online to receive a Zoom link. Ticketholders will also receive a link to view a recording of the talk, which will be available for two weeks only.