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Francesco Guardi, 'A View near Venice (?)', probably 1775-80

About the work

Overview

This is most likely a view of daily life in Venice during the second half of the eighteenth century, rather than an invented capriccio, though the actual site has not yet been identified. The Guidecca, Chioggia and Murano (districts and islands of Venice) have all been suggested.

Men chatting, women doing laundry and an animated boy and his dog give a sense of informality to what is actually a very structured composition. The steeply receding rooflines and the deep shadow cast across the ground lead us towards the waterfront, boats and distant buildings.

Guardi has used very thin paint to describe the foreground buildings which frame the square, with very sketchily dashed off lines giving a sense of windows and stonework.

Key facts

Details

Full title
A View near Venice (?)
Artist dates
1712 - 1793
Date made
probably 1775-80
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
20.7 × 30.8 cm
Acquisition credit
Salting Bequest, 1910
Inventory number
NG2520
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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