The Garden of Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo
Francesco Guardi·Late 1770s
Historical Context
The Garden of Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo (late 1770s) depicts the garden of a Venetian palace on the Grand Canal, a subject that combines Guardi's architectural precision with his gift for atmospheric landscape. Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) was the last great practitioner of Venetian veduta painting, succeeding Canaletto with a more atmospheric, spontaneous style. His later views capture Venice in a twilight of declining power, invested with poetic melancholy.
Technical Analysis
Guardi's characteristically flickering brushwork creates an atmospheric, almost Impressionistic effect. The garden vegetation is rendered with quick, broken touches of green, while architectural details are suggested rather than precisely delineated.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice Guardi's characteristically flickering brushwork: vegetation is rendered with quick, broken touches of green that suggest leaves without precisely depicting them.
- ◆Look at how architectural details are suggested rather than precisely delineated — Guardi captures the essence of the Venetian palace garden through atmospheric brushwork.
- ◆Find the water surface of the Grand Canal visible beyond the garden: Guardi always situates his compositions within Venice's aquatic geography.
- ◆Observe how this late 1770s work reflects Venice's twilight: Guardi's atmospheric, melancholy quality captures the city's declining power with poetic sensitivity.
Provenance
One of series of four viewed in Venice and the Veneto, presumably painted for John Strange (died 1799), British resident in Venice between 1773 and 1788; sale of his collection, European Museum, London, May 27, 1799, no. 49 (bought in); sale of his collection, Christie’s, London, March 15, 1800, no. 99. Colonel Milligan of Caldwell Hall, Burton-on-Trent; Nottinghamshire; sold, Christie’s, London, March 13, 1883, no. 358 or 359, to Davies [this information given in Christie’s sale catalogue, December 8, 1989 under no. 114, Villa Loredan from the same series]; Charles Davies, London. Colnaghi’s, London [Ames 1963, p. 37 states that Rothermere acquired the series from Colnaghi]; Harold Sidney Harmsworth, first Vicount Rothermere (died 1940) [the series of four paintings was intact on the death of Lord Rothermere, but appears to have been sold separately and privately after his death, see Fahy 1973, p. 111]. Knoedler, New York [according to Knoedler label on the back with stock no. 423 [5 or 6] 2]. Alfred Frankfurter, New York [letter from Alfred Frankfurter to Mr. and Mrs. Ascoli dated July 16, 1947, copy in curatorial file]; Dr. and Mrs. Max Ascoli, New York, by 1947 [letter cited above]; given to the Marion and Max Ascoli Fund; given to the Art Institute, 1991.
