Francesco Guardi was an 18th century Venetian painter famous for his landscape paintings and city scenes of Venice. While his subject matter is similar to that of Canaletto, Guardi’s style is more distinctive and impressionistic. His impressions of Venice are more romantic than Canaletto’s, which feel less lively and photographic. Guardi does a fantastic job of capturing vibrant light and creates a dazzling effect when painting water.
There is not much documentation on Guardi’s training, but it is believed that he learned from his elder brother and father. It is also believed that he learned mostly through studying the works of other painter rather than through formal training.
In Guardi’s paintings we see depictions of Venetian festivities as shown below:
Some examples of this are the Mardi Gras of 1758, and of events connected with the visits of foreign dignitaries are known from throughout Guardi’s career.
Guardi was a prolific painter and his works have been purchased mainly by middle-class Venetians and English visitors. His work received a mix of reviews: some liked his poetic vision while others saw such qualities and poor technique and carelessness in certain specific sites.
Personally, I adore his work. I love the colours he uses and the softness of the sky. In some ways, the way he paints almost reminds me of watercolour because of the looser style. I also like the varied thin and thick brush strokes and attention to light. I’ve been to Italy before and I think Francesco successfully captured the mood and romantic feel of it all which is why his work resonates with me.
Works Cited:
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/francesco-guardi
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