_-_Capriccio_with_the_Courtyard_of_the_Doge's_Palace_-_P647_-_The_Wallace_Collection.jpg&width=1200)
Capriccio with the Courtyard of the Doge's Palace
Francesco Guardi·1770
Historical Context
Capriccio with the Courtyard of the Doge's Palace, painted around 1770 and now in the Wallace Collection, transforms the actual courtyard of Venice's Ducal Palace into an imaginary composition. Guardi rearranges the courtyard's Renaissance architecture — the Scala dei Giganti, the well-heads, the ornate facades — into a picturesque capriccio that emphasizes decorative effect over topographical accuracy. The Wallace Collection's extensive holdings of Venetian vedute and capricci reflect the nineteenth-century British passion for Venetian art, fueled by the writings of John Ruskin and the paintings of Turner. Guardi's capricci were particularly valued by sophisticated collectors who appreciated inventive composition over documentary precision.
Technical Analysis
Recognizable Venetian architectural elements are recombined in a poetic, dreamlike setting. Guardi's loose brushwork and warm palette give the capriccio an evocative, almost melancholy atmosphere that distinguishes his fantasies from mere topographical exercises.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice how recognizable elements of the Doge's Palace courtyard — the Scala dei Giganti, the well-heads, the ornate facades — have been rearranged into an imaginary composition that never existed in reality.
- ◆Look at the warm palette and loose brushwork that give this capriccio an evocative, almost melancholy atmosphere, distinguishing Guardi's architectural fantasies from mere topographical exercises.
- ◆Find the small figures scattered through the courtyard, their presence lending scale to the invented architecture and a dreamlike quality to the entire scene.
