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Capriccio with the Archway of the Torre dell'Orologio
Francesco Guardi·1785
Historical Context
The famous archway of the Torre dell'Orologio, Venice's clock tower marking the entrance to the Mercerie shopping streets, appears in this capriccio from 1785 at the Wallace Collection. Guardi takes a real and recognizable architectural element and sets it within an invented scene, blurring the boundary between topographic record and creative fantasy that defines the capriccio genre. The Wallace Collection, assembled by the Hertford family, is particularly rich in eighteenth-century French and Italian painting.
Technical Analysis
The clock tower archway provides the compositional anchor, its recognizable form lending credibility to the surrounding invented architecture. Guardi's late brushwork is at its most abbreviated, with architectural elements suggested through a few decisive strokes. The light passing through the arch creates a strong tonal focus that organizes the surrounding capriccio elements.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the Torre dell'Orologio archway providing the compositional anchor: Guardi takes a real, recognizable Venice landmark and surrounds it with invented architecture in this 1785 Wallace Collection capriccio.
- ◆Look at the clock tower's recognizable form lending credibility to the surrounding invented architecture: the real element makes the fictional surroundings plausible.
- ◆Find the invented architectural elements that the clock tower archway has attracted: Guardi's capriccio creates a Venice that could exist, organized around this real landmark.
- ◆Observe that the Wallace Collection holds this late Guardi alongside important paintings by Titian, Rembrandt, and Velázquez — the collection assembled by the Marquesses of Hertford places Guardi in the company of European painting's greatest masters.
