Venice with the Giudecca Canal and the Church of the Gesuati, Giacomo Guardi (Venice, 1764 – Venice, 1835)

Giacomo Guardi (Venice, 1764 – Venice, 1835)
View of Venice with the Giudecca Canal and the Gesuati Church

oil on canvas (34 x 42 cm. – framed 40 x 50 cm.)

Expertise Dr. Federica Spadotto

The beautiful view of Venice chooses as the protagonist of the representation the church of Santa Maria del Rosario, known to the Venetians by the name of the Gesuati, built on the Giudecca Canal by Giorgio Massari between 1724 and 1736.

It is a painting executed by Giacomo Guardi (Venice, 1764 - Venice, 1835), son and pupil of the well-known landscape artist Francesco Guardi, dedicated to continuing his father's activity by painting many views and caprices.

His production especially boasts small-format compositions because they were intended to satisfy the requests of collectors and refined foreign travelers who wanted an elegant souvenir of the lagoon city during their Grand Tour.

In fact, their small dimensions allowed them to be transported together with luggage, while now these small 'postcards' have become highly sought after and appreciated by modern collectors.

The style of the painting is modeled on the modus pingendi of Francesco Guardi (Venice, 1712-1793) - the comparison is easy in terms of treatment of water, boats and spots - thus testifying to Giacomo's profound knowledge of the manner developed by his father , although expressed in a personal interpretation of his pictorial microcosm.

In fact, observing the same religious building, immortalized in numerous paintings from Francesco's late maturity - among these the 'View of the Giudecca Canal to the north-west with the Zattere' (circa 1760, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin) [1] - we can admire the execution of a choral vision, which by expanding the perspective vision offers a great overall view.

[1] Francesco Guardi (Venice 1712-1793) View of the Giudecca Canal to the north-west with the Zattere (circa 1760) – Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94185526@N04/ 48785870492

This propensity, however, was not inherited by his son Giacomo who, instead, often preferred to extrapolate, with extreme fidelity, a specific segment, here making the church of Santa Maria del Rosario the protagonist.

Guardi junior's corpus is not new to similar licenses and, while showing knowledge of the parent's prototype, he chooses to adopt a completely different approach, "cutting out" a cameo from Francesco's very broad perspective vision; the shot narrows and elects the church overlooking the waters of the lagoon as the protagonist of the canvas, which he garnishes with the same figures present in his paternal counterpart, to reiterate the referential platform of belonging.

The view, in excellent conservation conditions, intact and without significant restorations, not recently relined, is enriched by a beautiful golden frame.

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