Platform: Social Media, Online
Client: Christie’s
Date: Summer 2025
“Christie’s – Canaletto: The Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day”
Christie’s, the world-leading, British-founded art and luxury business, approached Holey & Moley to help tell the story of a once-in-a-generation masterpiece coming to market. The brief was to create a social media promotional film that could live confidently across multiple platforms and formats, while conveying the historic, artistic and cultural weight of Canaletto’s The Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day (c.1732).
This extraordinary painting of Venice — formerly owned by Sir Robert Walpole and once hung in Number 10 Downing Street — represents Canaletto at the height of his powers. Our role was to translate that gravitas into motion, creating a digital experience that invited private collectors and the wider public to appreciate not just the artwork, but the opportunity it represented.
We reconstructed the painting in three-dimensional space, allowing light to fall across its surface and reveal the depth, texture and precision of Canaletto’s brushwork. Through digital rostrum moves, parallax layering, extrusion and displacement, we guided the viewer through the scene — from the ceremonial spectacle of Venice’s Ascension Day to the finer details that define the artist’s mastery. Ink bleed footage and painterly textures were interwoven with subtle visual effects, creating a seamless narrative that balanced historical context with contemporary energy. Sound design and music was also mixed by us to create the pace, segues and atmosphere for the sequence, featuring Handel’s Water Music.
The resulting sequence was uplifting, cinematic and precise — designed to stop the scroll and reward closer attention. The campaign culminated in a landmark result: the painting sold for £27.5m (£31.9m with fees), exceeding expectations and setting a new auction record for Canaletto.
Projects like this sit at the heart of what we love to do — using motion and craft to bring cultural icons into sharp, modern focus. We’re always excited by opportunities to tell stories where art, history and innovation meet.
Looking for a creative partner who can shape bold, story-led visual identities? Discover how we work as a leading motion graphics company, crafting distinctive branding, titles and visual worlds for broadcast, streaming and beyond.
