Tatton Park reveals rare Italian connections in a new landmark exhibition: Beyond the View: Canaletto

Tatton Park announces major new exhibition – Beyond the View: Canaletto - opening 28 March – 1 November 2026.

Featuring two world renowned Canaletto oil paintings alongside a curated display of Italian artefacts, unseen letters and an original 1729 Map of Venice by Ludovico Ughi - all of which explore the Egerton’s love affair with Italy and art.

Bringing together heritage and innovation through avatars and augmented reality exploring the stories of Tatton women, as well as projections and soundscapes, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey from rural Cheshire to the heart of Venice.

Information and tickets available via: www.tattonpark.org.uk/canaletto

Tatton Park announces a major new landmark exhibition – Beyond the View: Canaletto opening 28 March until 1 November which invites visitors to experience the fascinating story of 18-year-old Samuel Egerton’s, (Owner of Tatton 1738 – 1780), journey from rural Cheshire to the heart of Venice’s vibrant art scene, and his connection to one of the world’s most celebrated artists – Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto.

Funded and supported by several organisations including, National Trust, the Italian Cultural Institute, Immersive Arts Fund, Cheshire East Council and Tatton Park’s Charitable Trust, and Arts Council England -  Beyond the View: Canaletto invites visitors to pause, and go beyond the surface of Tatton’s Canaletto paintings, exploring the intricacies of the Venetian masterpieces alongside the stories behind Tatton Park’s Egerton family and their unique Italian collections.

Carole Hyde, Head of Rural and Cultural Economy, Cheshire East Council and Tatton Park General Manager said: “We are delighted to be showcasing the Egerton Family’s connections to Italy through displaying new, never before seen artefacts alongside the fantastic Canaletto’s commissioned specifically for the Tatton family. Add to that new, digital, commissions and we will be giving our visitors a unique immersive Italian experience throughout 2026.A long time in the planning, it’s fantastic to see Beyond the View: Canaletto finally come together and for us to be showcasing artworks of international significance right here in Cheshire.”

Two world renowned Canaletto oil paintings will be shown, alongside a curated display of Tatton Park’s rare paintings, prints, letters, books, and artefacts, some of which have never been displayed before, revealing the English love affair with Venice in the 1700s and a unique insight into Samuel Egerton’s life in Venice. Highlights include the magnificent portrait of Samuel Egerton by Nazari and the influential 1729 Map of Venice by Ludovico Ughi, never previously displayed and digitally projected to its intended large scale for the first time ever. Visitors will discover how Egerton, apprenticed to the influential art dealer Joseph Smith, was at the centre of a flourishing artistic community of celebrated artists of the time.

Alice Rylance-Watson, Assistant National Curator, Visual Arts (National Trust) said: “It is wonderful to see the Tatton letters on display for the first time, these are the only archival evidence in existence of the client relationship and working technique between Samuel Egerton and Canaletto including the circumstances of the commission and the difficulty in finishing the pieces. This is a fantastic opportunity to see these historical documents in the context of the works commissioned, two of Canaletto’s most renowned paintings.” 

An artist commission extends the exhibition and invites visitors to step Beyond the View of Canaletto’s Venetian masterpieces, and the world of fine art, to a powerful exploration of Samuel’s overlooked female relatives. Through Metahuman avatars, augmented reality and soundscapes, visitors will meet Elizabeth, Beatrix, and Hester Egerton who lived at Tatton during the 1700s. Commissioned by arts organisation Abandon Normal Devices and Cheshire East Council, this digital artistic installation by Alex Pollman and Bine Roth of Studio Peut-Porter, explores fictional stories around Samuel Egerton’s mother, sister and daughter, by following their dreams of travel to hosting a Venetian Ball and a grand political dinner.

Beyond the View: Canaletto runs from 28 March to 1 November 2026; further information and tickets are available at www.tattonpark.org.uk/canaletto