This is one of five pictures that Canaletto painted of the Lord Mayor's Show during his time in London. It shows the eighteen-oared State Barge and the twelve-oared barges of a number of Livery companies. Three sailing ships fly the Union Jack, and plumes of smoke can be seen trailing across the water indicating that salutes have just been fired.
The canopy of the Lord Mayor's State Barge is covered with blue cloth, which is significant. Two different types of cloth were used for the awnings of ceremonial barges: blue cloth which was called "Plunkett", indicating a civic event; and "Murrey", a red cloth used on Royal occasions.
The painting is an idealisation of London and The Show, taking an imaginary viewpoint high above the Thames. It presents a vista so broad it could not be taken in at one glance, but which was created by the superimposition of two separate views.
Canaletto's brilliant blue sky owes much to his native Venice, and against it is arranged the architecture of London: Lambeth Palace; Westminster Abbey; Westminster Hall, the original destination of the Show; and the four spires of St John's Smith Square, Queen Anne's footstool. But the dominating architectural feature is the new Westminster Bridge, which was not opened until two years after the painting was completed. It is shown with the statues of the river gods, Thames and Isis, over the centre span, but although planned these were never executed.
The Lord Mayor's Show appears in many other works of art and literature...