Lot 2089 Dα

The present veduta, an enchanting capriccio in which fanciful architectural elements have been combined to suggest an imaginary corner of Venice, undoubtedly recalls Guardi's masterpieces.<BR>A handful of figures animate the “portico”, their colourful costumes juxtaposing with the shadowy and subdued hues of the architecture. In the background, the semi-darkness fades into a cleverly diffused daylight. A ramp forms the first element upon which the observer's eye alights, behind which the facade of a building closes the scenery on the right. To the left of this, the view in the distance suggests that we are looking out onto gardens of Venice and the lagoon. In the tradition of the great Venetian masters, the artist presents us with a skilfully foreshortened arrangement of pictorial layers leading into the distance. <BR>The liberal brushstrokes, pronounced chiaroscuro and the playful rendering of the proportions and norms of perspective can all be linked to Francesco Guardi's works. The piece can be compared, for example, with a capriccio by Guardi in the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris or with another in the St. Petersburg Hermitage which display similar compositions.