Imaginary Landscapes

Capricci often exhibited compositional variations introduced ad infinitum, reflecting a process in which the artist would continuously add, subtract, and subtly modify elements. These delicate nuanced alterations have been compared to the delicate, improvisational qualities of Mozart’s musical variations, as opposed to the more dramatic and structured transformations found in the work of Vivaldi.

Guardi’s imaginative capacities are particularly evident in his capricci, as they offered the artist a vehicle for creative freedom and interpretive expression, allowing him to transcend the constraints of topographical accuracy, as is customary in a veduta.

Alpine origins

A drawing currently held in the Museo Correr, Venice – likely conceived as a preparatory study for the present capriccio – depicts the ruins seen at the right of the composition ¹. The sheet bears an inscription, possibly in Guardi’s own hand: “Ca[s]tello Cogolo p[er] andar a Trento”. The artist’s family was originally from Trento, and the drawing was probably executed in situ during the artist’s journey through the region north of Lake Garda, specifically en route to the Val di Sole in the Trentine Alps, in the autumn of 1778.

Provenance

The painting was formerly part of the notable collection of Francesco Guardi’s works assembled by Lord Rothermere. This collection also included the renowned series of four views of villas commissioned by John Strange (1732-99) ², the penultimate British resident in Venice (1773-90). Among them is The Villa Loredan, Paese, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

This is a rare chance to own a remarkable piece by one of the Serenissima’s finest painters.

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Auction Details

11 June 2025, 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING IN LONDON (HIGHLIGHTS)
Tuesday 27 May: 10am-4pm
Wednesday 28 May: 10am-4pm
Thursday 29 May: 10am-4pm

VIEWING IN NEWBURY (FULL SALE)
Sunday 8 June: 10am-3pm
Monday 9 June: 10am-4pm
Tuesday 10 June: 10am-4pm

FURTHER INFORMATION: 
General enquiries: + 44 (0) 1635 553 553 | pictures@dreweatts.com
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Literature:
A. Morassi, Francesco Guardi. I dipinti, Venice 1973, vol. I, pp. 467-68, no. 848, reproduced  vol. II, fig. 772
A. Morassi, Francesco Guardi. I disegni, Venice 1975, vol. I, p. 181, under no. 593

Notes:
1 See Morassi 1975, vol. I, p. 181, no. 593, reproduced vol. II, fig. 585
2 See Morassi 1973, vol. I, pp. 436-37, nos 680-83, reproduced vol. II, figs 635-42