Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
A Venetian Courtyard
(Baroque Europe )
This view into a Venetian courtyard shows people engaged in everyday activities, such as a woman washing clothes. The focus of the painting, however, is on the beauty of the decaying architecture and the rich tonal variations of the shaded walls. Architectural painting of the 18th century typically represented monumental vistas of grand buildings, but, in this work, Guardi has found a different kind of beauty by painting a building from its back side. Guardi's paintings combine a sense of place with a lightness of touch that suggest the potential romance and adventure around every corner. They were particularly popular with British visitors on the Grand Tour, for whom such views served as charming souvenirs.
For more information on this painting, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 455, pp. 567-568.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 418]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2002-2004 | A Magnificent Age: Masterpieces from the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte. |
| 1996 | Tiepolo Unveiled: The Restoration of a Masterpiece. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| Examination | examined for condition | |
| 4/6/1971 | Treatment | cleaned; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced; x-ray |
| 8/1/1999 | Treatment | examined for condition; other |
Geographies
Italy, Venice (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H: 21 7/16 x W: 16 in. (54.4 x 40.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.607