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Lot Essay
Guardi's impulsive, brilliant technique made his pictures highly sought after, particularly by his English patrons. This work, and the following lot, are good examples of his capricci, where he would take various architectural elements, drawn from a wide variety of sources, and people these imaginary scenes with various characters going about their business.
The present picture is a larger version of a very similar capriccio by the artist (Morassi, no. 755: New York, private collection). There are slight variations between the two in addition to the size. In the present picture the statue of Minerva in the distance, above the portico, is facing the viewer, while in the smaller version it has been turned by ninety degrees, and faces to the right of the canvas. The staffage also differs slightly, with more figures visible in the present work, while Guardi introduces a small dog into the other picture. A similar monumental arch, incorporated into a view of a palazzo, can be seen in another of Guardi's architectural fantasies in the National Gallery, Prague (Morassi, no. 792).
It is interesting to note that the smaller of the two versions of the present capriccio has a pendant (Morassi, no. 757), and it is possible that the present work was also one of a pair (see note for lot 56).
The present picture is a larger version of a very similar capriccio by the artist (Morassi, no. 755: New York, private collection). There are slight variations between the two in addition to the size. In the present picture the statue of Minerva in the distance, above the portico, is facing the viewer, while in the smaller version it has been turned by ninety degrees, and faces to the right of the canvas. The staffage also differs slightly, with more figures visible in the present work, while Guardi introduces a small dog into the other picture. A similar monumental arch, incorporated into a view of a palazzo, can be seen in another of Guardi's architectural fantasies in the National Gallery, Prague (Morassi, no. 792).
It is interesting to note that the smaller of the two versions of the present capriccio has a pendant (Morassi, no. 757), and it is possible that the present work was also one of a pair (see note for lot 56).