Circle of FRANCESCO GUARDI (1712-1793)

Property ofTHE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, New York

Details

Circle of FRANCESCO GUARDI (1712-1793)

The Piazza San Marco, Venice, on the Doge's Coronation Day, with the Doge and the Admiral of the Arsenal being carried on the Pozzetto, bearing the Banner of St. Mark, stributing Money to the People

oil on canvas
22 x 29in. (55.9 x 73.5.6cm.)

Provenance

Giovanni P. Morosini, and by descent to his daughter, Giulia, by whom presented to the museum in 1932

Literature

H.B. Wehle, Metropolitan Museum of Art, A Catalogue of Italian, Spanish and Byzantine Paintings, 1940, p. 276
B.B. Fredericksen and F. Zeri, Census of Pre-Nineteenth-Century Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections, 1972, p. 96, as a copy after Guardi
A. Morassi, Guardi, 1973, I, p. 354, under no. 244, as 'un'antica copia'
K. Baetjer, European Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980, I, p. 82; II, p. 140, illustrated, as an 18th century copy after Guardi

Lot Essay

After the original in the museum at Grenoble (Morassi, loc. cit.) which forms part of a series of twelve paintings known as 'Le Solennita Dogali' (ibid., I, pp. 354-7; II, figs. 268-84). The series is based on engravings by Giovanni Battista Brutolon (inscribed 'Antonius Canal pinxit/Jo. Bap Brustolon inc.'), which were in turn were probably inspired by Canaletto. As no paintings by Canaletto correspond to this subject, the series is most likely based upon drawings by that artist. The engravings by Brutolon were published in 1776, and record the coronation of Doge Alvise IV Mocenigo in 1763. For a further discussion of the series by Guardi see Morassi, ibid., pp. 75ff.

Another version of the present lot was sold at Christie's, London, July 10, 1992, lot 30 as attributed to Vincenzo Chilone (sold #18,700)