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Catalog
Premium Francesco GUARDI (Venice, 1712 - 1793 )
Saint Mark's Square …
See original version (French)
Francesco GUARDI (Venice, 1712 - 1793 )
Saint Mark's Square …
See original version (French)
Lot no. 5
Description
Francesco GUARDI (Venice, 1712 - 1793 )
Saint Mark's Square animated with figures, Venice
Oil on resin panel, one plate
The piazza San Marco with figures, Venice, oil on panel, by F. Guardi
8.46 x 12.99 in.
21.5 x 33 cm
Provenance: Collection of Mr Jacques B., Paris ;
Then by descent ;
Private collection, Paris
The piazza San Marco, the only square in Venice1, is depicted here from its western end, offering an ideal view of the basilica, the campanile and the Procuratie Vecchie, the offices of the Republic's administration. This view inspired a number of Venetian painters active in the Settecento, who painted this panorama on their own or on commission, helping to make it one of the city's most emblematic landmarks. After Canaletto, Francesco Guardi was the most important painter of views of Venice in the 18th century. Although he produced his first works in partnership with his brother, Gian Antonio (1699-1760), who took over his father's studio, around 1760 he turned to painting caprices and vedute, depicting the Serenissima over and over again with a view to depicting the city's most famous monuments in turn. Clearly following in the footsteps of Canaletto, whose painted and engraved works he copied, and Michele Marieschi, Francesco Guardi quickly developed his own style, with a more lively and free touch that set him apart from his rivals. Perhaps Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, who married his sister Cecilia in 1719, had an influence on Francesco Guardi's vigorous treatment of the figures and his choice of colour palette. Guardi accurately captured the vibrant atmosphere of Venetian light with rapid brushstrokes and bluish and silvery tones. Towards the end of his career, Guardi paid more attention to the atmosphere of the scene than to capturing its details.
Although modest in size, our panel is meticulously composed: for example, the diagonally placed shadow reinforces the idea of depth, as do the buildings on either side leading towards the basilica. Unlike another version of the Piazza San Marco in the National Gallery in London (inv. no. NG210), our panel features more discreet figures who, depicted from behind, seem to be accompanying us towards the monuments. Some of these are recurring motifs, such as the man holding a young boy in his hand in the centre left, the couple in black cloaks conversing with a man in a yellow suit on the right, and the white tents erected near the bell tower. All these elements feature in an autograph transfer by Francesco Guardi also held by the National Gallery in London (inv. no. NG2525).
By becoming a Vedutist painter, Guardi hoped to attract a clientele similar to that which had made Canaletto's international reputation. Our painting is thus part of the flourishing market for Venetian cityscapes in the 1770s, aimed at both the foreign travelling community and local collectors. Several larger versions of this view of Saint Mark's Square bear witness to the success of this composition2.
We would like to thank Mr Charles Beddington for kindly confirming the authenticity of this work. A certificate dated 30 January 2025 may be given to the buyer.
1. Hierarchy counts in Venice: there's just one piazza, but many campi dot the city.
2. Dario Succi, Francesco Guardi: Catalogo dei Dipinti e Disegni Inediti, Segrate, 2021, pp. 17-13, no. 94 (on canvas) and pp. 66-74, nos. 85-7, 89-90,92-4 and 96-7 (on panel).
Francesco GUARDI (Venice, 1712 - 1793 )
21.5 x 33 cm
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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