Recorded as a view painter by Orlandi (Abecedario Pittorico, 1753), Marieschi dedicated himself to perspective painting and architecture, publishing in 1741 his twenty-one Choice Views in which he referred to himself as 'painter and architect'. Although it is in this respect that he is best known today, in his capricci, which reveal his inventive skills and success in combining architectural elements, he is equal to the greatest of the Venetian vedute painters.
The present painting successfully combines elements used by Marieschi in several of his capricci, each with slightly differently juxtaposed architectural motifs taken from Palladian villas, Venetian churches and classical ruins (see, for instance, R. Toledano, Michele Marieschi. L'opera completa, 1988, p. 119, no. C.1.3; p. 128, no. C. 16; and p. 144, no. C. 34.1). The latter, which has the closest correspondence to the present work, is a pendant to the painting offered at Sotheby's New York, Jan. 8, 1981, lot 31. A similar capriccio to that painting, whose location is unknown, could possibly be the pendant to the present lot (ibid., no. C.16).

We are grateful to Dr. Dario Succi for confirming the attribution on the basis of a transparency, and for suggesting a date of circa 1735.