The allure of the lagoon

A key element in the Venice of the imagination, the lagoon inspired all the vedutisti. However, it was Canaletto and Guardi who created the most poetic images of the body of water.  Canaletto’s views of the lagoon feature delicate compositions where the huge expanse of the sky mingles with the expanse of water to create the most subtle of landscapes.

Inspired by Canaletto’s drawings, Francesco Guardi also chose the lagoon as one of his favourite themes, creating a series of paintings that number among the most beautiful of the works he produced in his youth. Like Canaletto, his aim was not so much to describe Venice as to honour the vast skies hanging over the shifting waters of the lagoon. The artist plays with atmospheric effects to underscore the importance of light, with views that vary from light and full of colour (Guardi, View of the Giudecca Canal and Zattere, Madrid, Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection), to dark and hazy.