Fanciful View of the Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome
Francesco Guardi·c. 1785
Historical Context
Fanciful View of the Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, painted around 1785 and now in the National Gallery of Art, is notable as a Roman subject by an artist almost exclusively associated with Venice. Guardi probably never visited Rome, basing this capriccio on prints and other artists' views of the famous papal fortress. The painting demonstrates how eighteenth-century view painters could create convincing topographical images from secondary sources. Guardi transforms the Roman monument into a Venetian atmospheric vision, bathed in the silvery light characteristic of his mature style. The work reflects the cosmopolitan art market where collectors desired views of multiple Italian cities, encouraging painters to expand their repertoire beyond their home ground.
Technical Analysis
The Roman landmark is rendered with Guardi's characteristic atmospheric handling, its cylindrical form softened by haze. The surrounding imaginary landscape is painted in warm, muted tones that create a dreamlike quality typical of his finest capricci.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice that Guardi depicts a Roman monument he almost certainly never visited — this capriccio is based on prints, demonstrating how eighteenth-century painters could convincingly render locations from secondary sources.
- ◆Look at how Guardi's characteristic Venetian silvery light bathes the Roman Castel Sant'Angelo — the monument has been transformed into a Venetian atmospheric vision regardless of its actual setting.
- ◆Find the surrounding imaginary landscape: Guardi invents a picturesque environment around the real Roman monument, blending topographical and fantastical elements.
- ◆Observe the dreamlike quality — Guardi's atmospheric handling turns even a famous historical fortress into something hovering between memory and invention.
Provenance
(Alphonse Kann [1870-1948], Paris); sold 4 June 1914 to (Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, stock no. 4543); sold 27 June 1914 to Calouste Gulbenkian; returned 11 June 1915 to (Thomas Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London, stock no. 4668); sold 7 July 1922 to (C.M. Agnew and Ansdell, London);[1] sold to Howard Sturges [d. 1955], Providence, Rhode Island;[2] gift 1956 to NGA. [1] Information provided by Martha Hepworth of the Getty Provenance Index from the stock records of Agnew's; the relationship of Agnew and Ansdell to the firm of Agnew's is unclear; they purchased paintings from Agnew's in the early 1920s (letter of 25 February 1992, NGA curatorial files). [2] Notation of a letter from Geoffrey Agnew of 10 August 1956, on an artist card in NGA curatorial files, records that Sturges bought the painting from Agnew's, but gives no indication of when.
