Imitator of Francesco Guardi, 'Venice: Entrance to the Cannaregio', probably 19th century
About the work
Overview
Venetian artists Canaletto and Guardi specialised in view paintings, which were so popular with local and foreign collectors in eighteenth-century Venice that countless imitations were made. These made their way, alongside genuine works by both artists, into art collections throughout Europe. Despite this painting entering the National Gallery’s collection as by Guardi, it is now attributed to a nineteenth-century imitator.
This composition is taken in part from an engraving of 1735 by Visentini (Royal Collection, Windsor), after Canaletto’s painting of the same scene. The unknown artist has altered the view, narrowing the canal, bringing the bridge closer and adding a stone quay occupied by smartly dressed people to the foreground. There has been an attempt to adopt Guardi’s style, with lively brushwork to convey poses and costumes, and hard, dark outlines to describe the buildings.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Venice: Entrance to the Cannaregio
- Artist
- Imitator of Francesco Guardi
- Artist dates
- 1712 - 1793
- Date made
- probably 19th century
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 36.2 × 53.7 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bequeathed by John Henderson, 1879
- Inventory number
- NG1054
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Bequeathed by John Henderson in 1879.
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
-
2010Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and DiscoveriesThe National Gallery (London)30 June 2010 - 12 September 2010
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.
Images
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