Guardi's view of the Rialto from the Grand Canal is an impressive example of the cityscape that is one of Venice's great contributions to our visual experience. The Rialto was one of the busiest intersections of the city, as the bridge was the only one spanning the Grand Canal until the middle of the nineteenth century. Looking south toward the Rialto is the Riva del Ferro, at right, and the Riva del Vin, at left, where barrels of iron and wine, respectively, were unloaded. The flickering white highlights create an agitated rhythm that, when combined with the almost abstract patterns of broken colors in the buildings, transforms an actual view into a vision of glittering, ever-changing life.
Details
- Artist Name: Francesco Guardi (Italian, 1712-1793)
- Title: View of the Rialto, Venice, from the Grand Canal Looking North
- Date: c. 1782
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 17 x 24-3/4 in. (43.2 x 62.9 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation, Gift of Mr. Norton Simon
- Accession Number: M.1966.10.05.P
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
[Martin Colnaghi, Guardi Gallery, Haymarket, London].
Arthur Pemberton Heywood-Lonsdale, by descent to his great-grandson;
Timothy Heywood-Lonsdale (sale, London, Christie’s, 4 December 1964, lot 71, to);
[Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London, stock 25561, sold 1964 to];
Norton Simon Collection, Los Angeles;
Norton Simon Art Foundation.
Reinstallation of Galleries: Art History of the 17th and 18th Century Gains Fresh Dimension
- Norton Simon Museum, 1993-09-02 to 1995-08-13
Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, cat. 257 p. 276
Steadman, David, Art Journal, fig. 8 p. 37
Morassi, Antonio, Antonio e Francesco Guardi, no. 539 p. 410
Masterpieces from the Norton Simon Museum, p. 99
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