George III's artistic envoys knew where to look.
The Palazzo Mangilli Valmarana
was home to the British consul, Joseph Smith.
He was one of the greatest art collectors,
the Charles Saatchi of his day.
When Joseph Smith lived here,
these walls were crammed with paintings
that he'd commissioned from up-and-coming Venetian artists.
It became the in thing for visiting British aristocrats
to pull every string
and use every family connection to try
and get an invite here
so they could admire the collection
and then maybe buy a little something to take home.
But Joseph Smith fell on hard times
and needed cash,
so he sold the lot to George III.
Along with an impressive hoard of books,
antiques
and coins
were paintings by great masters like Vermeer.
Best of all were the paintings
by Venice's greatest living artist, Canaletto.