Francesco Guardi

Rococo Period

View of the Grand Canal with the Fabbriche Nuove di Rialto
https://pinacotecabrera.org/en/collezione-online/opere/veduta-del-canal-grande-con-le-fabbriche-nuove-di-rialto/

Francesco Guardi was born in Venice, the son of a minor painter, Domenico Guardi. Following Canaletto, he recorded both the architecture of the city and the celebrations of its inhabitants in interior and exterior scenes. These works brought him great success. While Guardi followed Canaletto in producing scenes, he soon developed his own style, based on a more loose handling of paint. He took particular pleasure in rendering the vibrant atmosphere of Venetian light and its dazzling effect on water.

https://www.hampel-auctions.com/a/Francesco-Guardi-1712-1793-Nachfolger.html?a=100&s=442&id=525745

A great example of his loose style is shown in this painting of his above. When you view this painting from a distance, it looks very detailed and quite realistic.

https://www.hampel-auctions.com/a/Francesco-Guardi-1712-1793-Nachfolger.html?a=100&s=442&id=525745

However, when you look very closely at the painting, you can notice his very loose brushstrokes and simplified figures. To me, this style gives his paintings a much greater scence of atmosphere, instead of the harsh reality. A great example of this is seen in his painting called “Fire in the Oil Depot in San Marcuola“.

Fire in the Oil Depot in San Marcuola (1789)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Guardi#/media/File:Francesco_Guardi_-_Fire_in_the_San_Marcuola_Oil_Depot_-_WGA10885.jpg

Citations

“Francesco Guardi, 1712 – 1793, Nachfolger.” Hampel, https://www.hampel-auctions.com/a/Francesco-Guardi-1712-1793-Nachfolger.html?a=100&s=442&id=525745.

The National Gallery, London. “Francesco Guardi.” The National Gallery, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/francesco-guardi.

“View of the Grand Canal with the Fabbriche Nuove Di Rialto – Francesco Guardi.” Pinacoteca Di Brera, https://pinacotecabrera.org/en/collezione-online/opere/veduta-del-canal-grande-con-le-fabbriche-nuove-di-rialto/.

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