Francesco Guardi was one of the most prominent painters of Venice’s Panorama during the 18th century. Early on, he collaborated with his older brother, Gian Antonio, in the production of religious paintings. After Gian Antonio’s death in 1760, Francesco concentrated on veduta, or view or landscape painting.
An Architectural Caprice
Francesco Guardi
Date: c.1777
https://www.wikiart.org/en/francesco-guardi/an-architectural-caprice
At that time, his works included both landscapes and figure compositions. Guardi’s early works were influenced both by Canaletto and Luca Carlevarijs. Following Canaletto, he captured both Venice’s architecture and its citizens’ celebrations in both indoor and exterior images. These works were extremely successful.
Although Guardi produced landscapes in the same manner as Canaletto, he quickly established his own style based on a more liberated use of paint. His enjoyment of capturing the bright mood of Venetian light and its brilliant effect on water was amazing.
The more ‘impressionistic’ approach of Guardi also found expression in small-scale imaginary scenes of capricci, such as in ‘An Architectural Caprice’.
Departure of the Bucentaur Within the route of the Venice Lido on Ascension Day
Francesco Guardi
Date: 1766 – 1770
https://www.wikiart.org/en/francesco-guardi/departure-of-the-bucentaur-towards-the-venice-lido-on-ascension-day-1770
“Departure of the Bucentaur Towards the Venice Lido on Ascension Day” depicts The Festa della Sensa that was celebrated annually on Ascension Day, the anniversary of the departure of Doge Pietro II Orseolo’s expedition that conquered Dalmatia around 1000. The Doge visited the Lido in a splendid state barge known as the Bucentaur (Italian: Bucintoro). He commemorated the union of Venice and the Adriatic Sea by tossing a ring into the water.
Guardi’s ability to represent detail and an extraordinary sense of perspective transported viewers to the magical city of Venice. Guardi’s work is frequently criticized for its lack of diversity, as he primarily depicted Venetian cityscapes and landscapes. Although his artistic expression was limited to Venetian landscapes, he was quite skilled at creating captivating paintings.
Petrarch, a fourteenth-century Tuscan poet, referred to Venice as “mundus alter” or “another world,” and the city of canals truly differs from other Renaissance hubs such as Florence or Rome.
Venice is a group of islands linked by bridges and canals, and until the mid-nineteenth century, the only way to get there was by boat. Throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Venice had multiple outbreaks of plague as well as important battles such as the War of the League of Cambrai. However, it also enjoyed a stable republican government led by a Doge (meaning “Duke” in the local tongue), trade richness, and a unique location as a gateway between Europe and Byzantium.
Fransesco Guardi will always be widely acknowledged as a notable Venetian landscape painter. Guardi’s contributions to the art world are indisputably significant, leaving behind a legacy that inspires and captivates art enthusiasts to this day.
