Lot Essay
Although depictions of this view formed a significant part of the repertoire of Canaletto (see, for instance, W. G. Constable, Canaletto, Oxford, 1962, nos. 168-176), only one painting of it by Guardi hitherto been known, the much larger canvas in the Art Institute of Chicago (A. Morassi, Guardi. I dipinti, Venice, 1973, I, pp. 397-8, no. 464, and II, fig. 469).
A preparatory pen and wash drawing for the right section of the composition was formerly in the collection of C. Broglio, Paris (A. Morassi, Guardi. Tutti i disegni, Venice, 1975, p. 141, no. 354, and fig. 357). Unaware of the present picture, Morassi associated this with the Chicago picture, which has a viewpoint to the right
A preparatory pen and wash drawing for the right section of the composition was formerly in the collection of C. Broglio, Paris (A. Morassi, Guardi. Tutti i disegni, Venice, 1975, p. 141, no. 354, and fig. 357). Unaware of the present picture, Morassi associated this with the Chicago picture, which has a viewpoint to the right