Francesco Guardi

M.A. Ryerson, Chicago, where according to an inscription on the stretcher the painting hung in the Libarary (sic) West Wall;
Broglio collection, Paris;
Conte di B., Paris (according to Morassi in Literature, though most likely identifiable with Count Broglio above) ;
Private collection, Switzerland.

Chicago, Institute of Art, 1932 (lent by Ryerson).

A Guide to the Paintings in the Permanent Collection, Chicago 1932, p. 181;
A. Morassi, Guardi, I dipinti, Venice 1973, and in the second edition of 1993, vol. I., p. 373, cat. no. 329, reproduced vol. II, figure 360;
L. Rossi Bortolatto, L'opera completa di Francesco Guardi, Milan 1974, p. 93, cat. no. 84, reproduced p. 94 (all the above as Francesco Guardi);
D. Succi, Francesco Guardi. Itinerario dell'avventura artistica, Milan 1993, p. 189, reproduced p. 181, figure 197, as Giacomo Guardi.

The following condition report is provided by Hamish Dewar who is an external expert and not an employee of Sotheby's. Structural Condition The artist's panel has been cradled and this is ensuring an even and secure structural support. Paint Surface The paint surface has an even but quite glossy varnish layer. There is a quite marked pattern of drying craquelure which has been has inpainted and the retouchings have become slightly paler than the surrounding original pigments and are therefore just visible in a strong natural light. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows these retouchings, which are predominantly in the upper right of the sky, and other small scattered retouchings including thin lines highlighting the figures in the lower left of the composition. Inspection under ultra-violet light also shows the varnish layers to be very discoloured suggesting that cleaning could be beneficial. There may be other retouchings beneath these old discoloured varnish layers which are not identifiable under ultra-violet light. Summary The painting is therefore in stable condition and while no further work is required for reasons of conservation, cleaning could be considered.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

The Basilica of Saint Mark and its piazza have always captured the imagination of visitors to the Serenissima and Grand Tourists, for whom many of Guardi's vedute were destined, were no different. The scene depicts the daily bustle of the city but also allows Guardi to explore some of his characteristic themes: the contrast between the stillness of the magnificent buildings and the sharply-painted animated figures which inhabit them; the play of light between the warmly-lit Procuratie Nuove to the right and the shadow hanging over the left of the composition; the small flashes of colour, seen here in the blues and reds, which pierce the composition and break up the continuity of the windows of the Procuratie.

Though several autograph versions of this view are known, few are on panel and match the quality of the present painting. A similar work, also on panel and of comparable dimensions (23.8 by 33 cm.), in which the figures of the father and son holding hands in the foreground recur, was sold in these Rooms, 6 July 2011, lot 72, for £620,000. Rossi Bortolatto praises the high quality of the work and Morassi describes the painting as of "eccellente levatura" (for both see Literature), dating it to the eighth decade of the 18th century. Whilst Succi (see Literature) initially rejected the attribution to Francesco in favour of Giacomo Guardi, after examining the painting in the original he now believes it to be by Francesco, datable to 1785.¹



1. Dr Succi's written report dated 30 September 2009 accompanies the lot.