Francesco Guardi, 'Caprice View with Ruins', after 1780
About the work
Overview
This is one of three tiny pictures that have been grouped together since the early nineteenth century (the others show a man and child in a landscape with a derelict folly, and hard-working men beside a pool). It shows an elegantly dressed couple heading towards a pillared ruined arch, which appears in other pictures by Guardi. These foreground figures are only around one centimetre tall, but Guardi still managed to portray a sense of their movement, poses and dress.
Rich colours and bright light draw us into the scene. Guardi has created a glowing atmosphere – the elegant columns and domed roof reflect the sunlight, which also illuminates the white building beyond. These works, known as capricci or imaginary views, were bought as souvenirs by tourists to Venice, Guardi’s home city and where he spent his entire career.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Caprice View with Ruins
- Artist
- Francesco Guardi
- Artist dates
- 1712 - 1793
- Date made
- after 1780
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 10.1 × 6.1 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Salting Bequest, 1910
- Inventory number
- NG2521.2
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Michael Levey, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
-
2012Canaletto - Guardi: The two masters of VeniceMusée Jacquemart-André14 September 2012 - 14 January 2013
Bibliography
-
1956Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1956
-
1986Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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.