_-_Venice%2C_Santa_Maria_della_Salute_and_the_Dogana_-_P503_-_The_Wallace_Collection.jpg&width=1200)
Venice: Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana
Francesco Guardi·1780
Historical Context
This view of Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana, around 1780, in the Wallace Collection, depicts the Baroque church that dominates the entrance to the Grand Canal. Baldassare Longhena's great domed church was one of the most painted buildings in Venice. Guardi's Venice is rendered with a flickering atmospheric looseness that distinguishes him sharply from Canaletto's precision, applying paint in small broken strokes that dissolve solid architecture into shimmering reflections. This proto...
Technical Analysis
The massive dome of the Salute dominates the composition, its architectural mass rendered with Guardi's characteristic loose brushwork. The water in the foreground sparkles with reflected light, animated by small boats and gondolas.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the massive dome of the Salute dominating the circa 1780 Wallace Collection composition: Guardi's late version renders the great Baroque dome with looser, more atmospheric handling than his earlier treatments.
- ◆Look at the water in the foreground reflecting the church: the Grand Canal entrance serves as a mirror for the votive church above, creating Guardi's characteristic vertical doubling.
- ◆Find how the Dogana customs house appears alongside the Salute: the two great structures at Venice's canal entrance are rendered in their specific relationship.
- ◆Observe that the Wallace Collection holds this late Guardi alongside the earlier capriccio — the two works spanning different periods and subjects show how consistently Guardi's atmospheric technique served varied subjects across his career.
