Francesco Guardi

Vente Anonyme, Paris, 14 Novembre 1919, n°22;
Vente Anonyme, Paris, 14 Decembre 1949 (d'après une annotation sur le montage)

Hinged along the top margin. On the recto the gray- brown wash has been added later, including on the two figures in the foreground, and possibly also some of the brown wash. The paper is slightly buckled. There is a pin point hole at the top to the right, on the last pinnacle of St. Marc. A few gray and brown stains along the margins. Some light brown staining on the verso on the upper part and lower left. Some of the wash from the recto is visible on the verso. Sold in a fine Louis XIII, carved and gilded frame. Accroché par le bord supérieur. Au recto, le lavis gris-brun a été ajouté ultérieurement, et aussi dans les deux personnages du premier plan. Le papier est légèrement ondulé. Il y a un petit trou d'épingle en haut sur la droite. Quelques taches brunes sur le verso dans la partie supérieure et en bas à gauche. Quelques lavis du recto sont visibles au verso. Vendu dans un beau cadre Louis XIII sculpté, doré.
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This attractive view, possibly from life, is enclosed by the archway of the Torre dell'Orologio, looking towards St. Mark, the Ducal Palace, and the Piazzetta, with in the distance the church of St. Giorgio Maggiore. It appears, that although Guardi did a number of paintings from the opposite side, therefore from the Piazzetta looking towards the Torre dell'Orologio, he has never painted this absolutely fascinating view.  This appears also to be the only known drawing of the subject.  Stylistically recto and verso seem to be late drawings by the artist.  A similar view to the recto of the present sheet, although with the archway exactly framing the view towards St. Mark, was painted by Canaletto and this painting is now in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.¹ The verso, a quick sketch, executed solely in pen and ink, does not relate to any known paintings or drawings, and the mountainous view, with a lake is not identifiable .

1. Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, inv. n^o II.193; W. G. Constable and J.G. Links, Canaletto, 2nd. ed. Oxford 1976, vol. II, p. 206, n^o 47, reproduced vol. I, pl. 19