Ca Rezzonico

Ca' Rezzonico () is a palazzo and art museum on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro of Venice, Italy. It is a particularly notable example of the 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration, and displays paintings by the leading Venetian painters of the period, including Francesco Guardi and Giambattista Tiepolo. It is a public museum dedicated to 18th-century Venice () and one of the 11 venues managed by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.

History

Construction (17th-18th centuries)

Ca' Rezzonico stands on the right bank of the Grand Canal of Venice, at the point where it is joined by the Rio di San Barnaba. The site was previously occupied by two houses, visible in early paintings of Venice in 1500, which a century and a half later were in a sad state of decay. They belonged to the Bon family, one of Venice's patrician clans. In 1649 the head of the family, Filippo Bon, a Procurator of the city and patron of the arts, decided to transform the two houses into a single large palazzo on the site. For this purpose he employed Baldassarre Longhena (1597-1682), the greatest proponent of Venetian Baroque, a style slowly replacing the Renaissance and Palladian architectural style. Longhena was the designer of the famous dome of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, a Venice baroque landmark. By 1661 Longhena had combined the two earlier structures, and work had begun on the facade facing the canal, and had reached as high as the first, or Noble, floor. However, neither architect nor client was to see the completion of the Palazzo Bon: Longhena died in 1682, and Filippo Bon saw his finances ruined by the cost of the palazzo. He was forced to halt the work.

File:Giovanni Antonio Canal, il Canaletto - Grand Canal - Looking North from Near the Rialto Bridge - WGA03874.jpg, View of the Grand Canal by Canaletto in 1726. The unfinished Palazzo is the white building the center on the left
File:Naya, Carlo (1816-1882) - n. 021 - Venezia - Palazzo Rezzonico1.jpg, The Palazzo in the mid-19th century, by Carlo Naya
File:Detail - Ca Rezzonico - Venice 2016 (2).jpg, Detail of the facade

Filippo Bon died in 1712, and the unfinished palace, already decaying, was inherited by his sons and then grandsons, but none had the funds to complete the construction. In 1750 The Bons offered the unfinished palazzo to Giambattista Rezzonico, a banker and fabric merchant from Lombardy, whose family had bought a title of Venetian nobility in 1648, during the War of Candia war with the Ottoman Empire, when the Venetian state coffers were depleted. Rezzonico paid 60,000 gold ducats for the unfinished building. Municipal inspectors examined the building, and concluded that most of the structure was a ruin, in danger of collapse. Only the rear part of the building, completed up to the second floor, had a roof and could be saved. Rezzonico hired the most prestigious architect of his time, Giorgio Massari (1687-1766), who had built the churches of the Jesuits and the church of the Pietà in Venice, as well as the palazzo of the Grassi family, which faced the Rezzonico palace on the other side of the Grand Canal.

A Canaletto painting of the early 18th century shows only the ground floor and first ''piano nobile'' completed, and a temporary roof protecting the structure from the elements. The Rezzonicos rushed the reconstruction along. In 1752, the accidental dropping of a piece of marble caused the scaffolding to collapse, dropping five stonemasons to the ground below. Massari largely followed the original plan of Longhena, but made a number of modifications to suit the lighter rococo tastes. He removed some ponderous double columns on the facade replacing them with more slender pillars, and eliminated a heavy plinth of columns, giving the building a lighter, more graceful appearance. He also installed a row of small oval windows above the larger windows on the second floor, adding light and a rococo touch.

The facade was finished between 1750 and 1752. Turning his attention to the interior, Massari broke with Venetian custom and put the major ceremonial room at the back of the building, not overlooking the canal. He doubled the height of the ceiling in this room and eliminated walls to create a more dramatic space. He laid out a ceremonial route that would take visitors from the dock and gateway on the Grand Canal to a fountain in the interior courtyard, surmounted by the coat of arms of the Rezzonico in marble; then taking a triumphal hallway to the monumental stairway which took them up to the grand salon or ballroom. As soon as the salons were completed, their ceilings were painted with frescoes by Giovanni Battista Crosato and in ''trompe-l'œil'' by Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna.

The interior work was nearly finished in 1756. The pinnacle of the Rezzonico's power and the Palazzo's grandeur came in 1758, when Carlo, the younger brother of Giambattista Rezzonico, was elected Pope as Clement XIII, the same year Ludovico Rezzonico married Faustina Savorgnan, uniting the two richest families in Venice. To mark that occasion, Rezzonico commissioned the most celebrated painter of Venice, the aging Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, to paint the ceilings of two salons, along painters with Gaspare Diziani and Jacopo Guarana.

The palace was the site of further celebrations in 1759, when Aurelio Rezzonico was elected Procurator of San Marco, and in 1762, when Ludovico Rezzonico was elected to the same position. For three nights, the facades and interiors of the palace were lit with torches and candles in celebration. Upon his election as Pope, Carlo Rezzonico transferred a large part of the family art collection from Venice to Rome.

19th-20th century- decline and revival

Fifty years after the completion of the palace, in 1810, the last member of the Venetian branch of the Rezzonicos, cardinal Abbondio of Pisa, died, bringing an end to the family line. The palace nearly became a Jesuit College, but went instead through several families, and in 1832 to Carlo Pindemonte, the grandson of a Piedomontese poet and political figure, Ippolito Pindemonte. Pindemonte sold all the furnishings and art collections of the palazzo. Only the frescos remained in situ. In 1837, Pindemonte sold the empty building to Count Ladislao Zelinsky, who in turn rented the palazzo to the Baron von Bülow, then to count Zichj Cerner. From 1840 to 1857, it was rented to the Duke of Modena and his family, which included Don Carlo, the Duke of Madrid, the pretender to the Spanish throne.

Beginning in about 1850, the second floor of the palace was rented by the antiquarian and art dealer Jacobo Querci della Rovere, who used it as a gallery to sell paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Canaletto, and other old masters. In the 1880s, it became the home of the painter Robert Barrett Browning, whose father Robert Browning, the poet, died in his apartment on the mezzanine floor in 1889. At this time, the American portrait painter John Singer Sargent also had a studio in the palazzo.

In 1906 Browning received an offer from the German Emperor, Wilhelm II, to buy the building, but sold it instead to Count , a deputy of the Italian parliament and a collector of modern art. The Palazzo became the setting for spectacular costume balls, celebrations by torchlight and candlelight, and concerts.

American songwriter and composer Cole Porter rented Ca' Rezzonico for $4,000 a month in the 1920s. Porter engaged 50 gondoliers and employed a troupe of high-rope walkers to "perform in a blaze of colored lights".

The global depression of the 1930s brought an end to Minerbi's funds and extravagance, and he sought a buyer for the Palace. After four years of negotiations, in June 1935 the city of Venice purchased the Palazzo and began to transform it into a museum of Venetian art from the 18th century. Works of art of the 18th century, including ceiling frescoes, from other houses and collections owned by the municipality were brought together in the Ca' Rezzonico, to accompany the original frescoes on the ceilings. The city also purchased additional works by Tiepolo, Guardi, Canova, and other artists to augment the collection. The building underwent a major restoration in the late 1970s and was completed in 2001.

The ground floor and courtyard

File:Venezia Ca Rezzonico R01.jpg, Ground floor passage from the Grand Canal to the inner courtyard and fountain
Ca' Rezzonico courtyard - fountain and the arms of the Rezzonico family.jpg, Fountain in courtyard with Rezzonico coat of arms
Ca' Rezzonico - Grand stairway - Winter by Giusto Le Court.jpg, Grand stairway - ''Winter'' by Giusto Le Court

Visitors typically arrived by gondola at the main entrance, opening onto the Grand Canal. The building is narrow and deep, with the facade on the canal only three rooms wide. Visitors passed through the entrance, and down a long corridor to the courtyard, where a fountain is placed, with the coat of arms of the Rezzonico family. The entrance to the streets of Venice is behind the fountain. From the ground floor, visitors climb to the ''Piano Nobile'' by the staircase of honour, which has marble balustrades decorated with statuary by Giusto Le Court. Le Court was the leading sculptor in Venice in the late 17th century, and worked closely on many projects with the first architect of the building, Longhena.

''Piano Nobile''

The Palazzo's ceremonial rooms are located on the ''piano nobile''. The largest and most impressive is the grand salon or ballroom, fourteen by twenty-four meters in size, at the rear of the building. This room, created by Massari, is of double height, and appears even higher because of the ''trompe-l'œil'' architecture painted on the walls and ceiling by Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna (not by Pietro Visconti, as long believed). The centerpiece of the ceiling, painted by Giovanni Battista Crosato, depicts Apollo riding his carriage between Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The coat of arms of the Rezzonico family, with a double-headed eagle, also is prominently displayed on the wall of the ballroom facing the entry door. The two enormous chandeliers made of wood and gilded metal, from the mid-18th century, are among the few fixtures that date to the original period of the building. The ballroom is now decorated with 18th century statues by Andrea Brustolon, including a statue of an Ethiopian warrior carved of ebony.

(Venice) Ca' Rezzonico ballroom chandelier.jpg, The ballroom, the largest room in the Ca' Rezzonico
Ca' Rezzonico (Venice) - Ceiling of the Ballroom.jpeg, ''The Chariot of Apollo'' fresco on the ceiling of the ballroom, by Giovanni Battista Crosato (1753)
Ca' rezzonico, salone da ballo, quadrature di pietro visconti e affreschi di g.b. crosato (caduta di febo e 4 continenti), 1753, 01.jpg, ''Trompe-l'œil'' decoration of the ballroom ceiling by Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna

The Salon of the Allegory, a room decorated to commemorate the 1758 marriage of Ludovico Rezzonico, the nephew of Pope Clement XIII Rezzonico, and future procurator of San Marco, to Faustina Savorgnan, is also on the ''Piano Nobile''. The ceiling has a large fresco by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son, Giandomenico Tiepolo, depicting the groom and his bride ferried by Apollo's chariot. It was one of the last works of Tiepolo in Venice, before his departure for Madrid in 1762. Tiepolo completed the work on the ceiling in only twelve days on the scaffolding. The Tiepolo fresco, like the paintings in the Grand salon, is framed by ''trompe-l'œil'' paintings of architecture, including a false balustrade, by Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna, who also did the painted frames in the Grand Salon. The painting depicts the bridal couple in a chariot, being led by the sun god, Apollo. Other allegorical figures include cupid blindfold, a flight of ''putti'' and doves, the figure of Fame, holding a trumpet; the three graces on a cloud; a bearded old man with a laurel crown symbolizing Merit; and a lion, the symbol of Venice, along with coats of arms of the two families.

The furnishings of the salon included paintings and furnishings by Italian artists of the first half and mid-18th century, including portrait of Pope Clement XIII Rezzonico by Anton Raphael Mengs, a ''retable'' by Francesco Zugno, a pupil of Tiepolo, and a prie-dieu of carved walnut illustrating the fantasy of the Italian rococo style.

A passage from the Salon leads to a small chapel, suspended over the Rio San Barnaba. The chapel was built by either Aurelio Rezzonico or Cardinal Rezzonico, the nephew of Pope Clement XIII, in the second half of the 18th century. Some of the original decoration remains, including the sculpted and gilded rococo stucco sculpture on the white walls, and a retable, ''The Virgin and Saints'', by a pupil of Tiepolo, Francesco Zugno, and ''prie-dieu'', or seat for kneeling and praying, in the twisting and turning Venetian rococo style.

Ca' Rezzonico - Allegoria nuziale di Ludovico Rezzonico e Faustina Savorgnan, 1757 - Giambattista Tiepolo.jpg, Wedding couple in chariot on the ceiling of the Salon of the Allegory, by Giambattista Tiepolo (1758)
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritrotto di Francesco Falier - Bernardino Castelli.jpg, Francesco Falier by Bernardino Castelli
Ca' Rezzonico - The holy family and Saint John Baptist by Francesco Zugno.jpg, ''The holy family and St. John the Baptist'', by Francesco Zugno
Ca' Rezzonico - Arazzo con lo stemma della famiglia Tiepolo. Fabbricazione francese del XVIII (Gilles Bacor).jpg, Tapestry with arms of the Tiepolo family

The Salon of Pastels

was originally a room for holding audiences; in that room the Papal Legate informed Cardinal Rezzonico that he had been elected Pope the day before. The ceiling is decorated with frescos depicting the Triumph of the Arts over Ignorance, presented in a ''trompe-l'œil'' painted frame, with allegorical scenes painted in the corners. The paintings, particularly ''The Triumph of Poetry'', date from the time when Tiepolo was working in the main salon, and are usually attributed to either Giambattista Crosato or Gaspare Diziani of Belluno. The room takes its name from the number of pastel portraits by Rosalba Carriera and other notable Venetian artists. They include a fine pastel portrait of the opera singer Faustina Bordoni by Carriera. Another notable pastel portrait is that of Cecilia Guardi Tiepolo, wife of the painter Tiepolo, painted by her son Lorenzo. It was painted in 1757.

Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Madonna orante - Rosalba Carriera.jpg, ''Madonna orante'' - Rosalba Carriera
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di gentiluomo in rosso c.1740 - Rosalba Carriera.jpg, ''Ritratto di gentiluomo in rosso''- Rosalba Carriera
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Suor Maria Caterina Puppi (Venezia, 1651-1722) - Rosalba Carriera 44x35.jpg, Suor Maria Caterina Puppi - Rosalba Carriera
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Faustina Bordoni Hasse - Rosalba Carriera - 47x35.jpg, Faustina Bordoni - Rosalba Carriera
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Lucietta Sartori 1737 - Rosalba Carriera 32x28.jpg, Lucietta Sartori - Rosalba Carriera
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Giambattista Sartori 1737 - Rosalba Carriera 34x30.jpg, Giambattista Sartori - Rosalba Carriera
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Gerolamo Maria Balbi - Marianna Carlevaris.jpg, Gerolamo Maria Balbi - Marianna Carlevaris
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Cornelia Foscolo Balbi (1740-42) - Marianna Carlevaris.jpg, Cornelia Foscolo Balbi - Marianna Carlevaris
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Caterina Balbi (1740-42) - Marianna Carlevaris.jpg, Caterina Balbi - Marianna Carlevaris
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Marco Balbi (1740-42) - Marianna Carlevaris.jpg, Marco Balbi - Marianna Carlevaris
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di un bambino nobile (1708-13) - Gian Antonio Lazzari.jpg, ''Ritratto di un bambino nobile'' - Gian Antonio Lazzari
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di un nobile (1708-13) - Gian Antonio Lazzari- 60x48 inv.cl. n.1218.jpg, ''Ritratto di un nobile'' - Gian Antonio Lazzari
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di gentildonna - Gian Antonio Lazzari.jpg, ''Ritratto di gentildonna'' - Gian Antonio Lazzari
Ca' Rezzonico Sala dei pastelli - Ritratto di Cecilia Guardi Tiepolo 1757 - Lorenzo Tiepolo 67x54.jpg, ''Cecilia Guardi Tiepolo'' - Lorenzo Tiepolo

The Tapestry Hall

features three large Flemish tapestries from the end of the 17th century, as well as sculpted and gilded furniture from the period. The ceiling frescoes represent The Triumph of Virtue, by Jacopo Guarana. The yellow door is also notable; it portrays a lacquered painting of a Chinese man with a parasol, surrounded by floral motifs, and dates from 1760.

The Throne Room

At the end of the ''piano nobile'', looks out at both the Grand Canal and the Rio San Barnaba. It takes its name from an elaborate gilded and sculpted wooden throne which was used during the brief visit of Pope Pius VI in 1778, on his way from Rome to Vienna. It was also the bridal chamber of Ludovico Rezzonico and Faustina Savorgnan. Besides the throne, the other notable features of the room are the ceiling frescos, titled ''The Allegory of Merit'', which were painted by Tiepolo and his sons in just twelve days. The furniture in the room is also notable, particularly sculpted and gilded tables, mirrors and candlesticks, ornamented with statues of putti and figures representing the different virtues. The room also features several fine Chinese porcelain vases.

Ca' Rezzonico - Allegory of Merit Accompanied by Nobility and Virtue - Giambattista Tiepolo.jpg, Allegory of Merit Accompanied by Nobility and Virtue
Giambattista Tiepolo
Ca' Rezzonico Sala del trono ritratto di Gianrinaldo Carli-Rubbi 1749 - Bartolomeo Nazzari.jpg, Gian Rinaldo Carli 1749 by Bartolomeo Nazari
Ca' Rezzonico Sala del trono ritratto di Gerolamo Maria Balbi 1751-53 - Fortunato Pasquetti.jpg, Gerolamo Maria Balbi by Fortunato Pasquetti
Ca' Rezzonico Sala del trono - ritratto di Pietro Barbarigo detto lo Zoppo - Bernardino Castelli.jpg, Pietro Barbarigo detto lo Zoppo by Bernardino Castelli

The Tiepolo Hall

Has the third of the four Tiepolo ceilings in the building, called ''Nobility and Virtue defeating Ignorance''. Unlike the other Tiepolo ceilings, this ceiling, painted in 1744–45, was not made for the Ca' Rezzonico, but for the family of Pietro Barbarigo for his own house in Santa Maria del Giglio. It was bought by the city of Venice in 1934 and installed in the museum. The room also displays paintings by Venetian artists, including Pietro Longhi, Francesco Guardi, and two early works in oval frames by Giambattista Tiepolo from 1715 to 1716. The furnishings also pieces of Venetian baroque furniture, including a gaming table, and an ornate painted secretary, or cabinet, used to hold previous objects, made in Germany in the 18th century.

Ca' Rezzonico - Allegory of Nobility and Virtue that slay the Ignorance - Giambattista Tiepolo.jpg, ''Nobility and Virtue defeating Ignorance'' by Giambattista Tiepolo
Ca' Rezzonico - Salla Tiepolo - San Rocco by Giuseppe Angeli.jpg, ''San Rocco'' by Giuseppe Angeli
Ca' Rezzonico - Sala Tiepolo - Giacomo il Maggiore by Giuseppe Angeli.jpg, ''Giacomo il Maggiore'' by Giuseppe Angeli
Ca' Rezzonico - Sala Tiepolo - San Martino di Tours by Giambattiasta Tiepolo.jpg, ''St Martin of Tours'' by Giambattista Tiepolo
Ca' Rezzonico - Sala Tiepolo - San Biagio by Giambattiasta Tiepolo.jpg, ''Saint Blaise'' by Giambattista Tiepolo
Ca' Rezzonico - Sala Tiepolo - Vecchio con diadema by Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Old man with diadem'' by Giandomenico Tiepolo
Ca' Rezzonico - Sala Tiepolo - Giovane con elmo by Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Young man with helmet'' by Giandomenico Tiepolo

The library

(or Morlaiter hall) with four large bookcases filled with small sculptures in terra-cotta or baked earth by the Venetian sculptor Giovanni Maria Morlaiter (1699-1781), which were acquired for the museum by the City of Venice in 1935. The ceiling has a fresco on the same theme as the Tiepolo fresco in the Throne Room, ''Allegory of Merit'', by Mattia Bortoloni.

Lazzarini Hall

The Lazzarini Hall takes its name from the Venetian painter Gregorio Lazzarini, from the end of the 17th century. The three large mythological paintings in the room were attributed to him in the 19th century. More recent scholarship attributes one painting in the room, ''Orpheus massacred by the Bacchanantes'', to Lazzari. The others are now attributed to Antonio Bellucci and Antonio Molinari. The five oval paintings on the ceiling, also on mythological themes, are by Francesco Maffei, from the end of the 17th century. The room also features a very fine marquetry desk, inlaid with ivory and decorated with gilded bronze, by the ebenist Pietro Pifetti, signed and dated 1741.

Ca' Rezzonico - Allegory of Merit, by Mattia Bortoloni.jpg, ''Allegory of Merit'' by Mattia Bortoloni
(Venice) Ca' Rezzonico Sala Lazzarini - Ercole e Onfale - Antonio Bellucci.jpg, ''Hercules and Omphale'' by Antonio Bellucci

Brustolon Hall

The Brustolon Hall is devoted to the sculpted furniture and carved figures of Andrea Brustolon, the most celebrated Venetian baroque wood sculptor. The works displayed are dated 1706, and use different colored woods, including ebony, and extremely ornate baroque curves and twists to portray action and emotion. The room also features a notable chandelier with multi-colored glass in floral forms from the Murano glass workshop of Giuseppe Briani, made in the middle of the 18th century.

Lampadario in vetro di Murano - Ca' Rezzonico, Venice.jpg, Murano glass chandelier in the Brustolon Hall by Giuseppe Briani (mid-18th century)
Ca' Rezzonico - Allegoria della Fortezza - Nicolas Régnier.jpg, ''Allegory of the fortitude'' by Nicolas Régnier
Ca' Rezzonico - Suicido di Catone - Giambattista Langetti.jpg, ''The suicide of Cato'' by Giambattista Langetti
Ca' Rezzonico - Tantalo incatenato - Giambattista Langetti.jpg, ''Tantalus chained'' by Giambattista Langetti
Ca' Rezzonico - Lot e le figlie - Pietro Ricchi.jpg, ''Lot and his daughters'' by Pietro Ricchi

Ceiling from palazzo nani in Ca'Rezzonico-museum

Source:

(Venice) Africa by Francesco Polazzo - ceiling from palazzo nani in Ca'Rezzonico-museum.jpg, ''Africa''
(Venice) America by Francesco Polazzo - ceiling from palazzo nani in Ca'Rezzonico-museum.jpg, ''America''
(Venice) Europa by Francesco Polazzo - ceiling from palazzo nani in Ca'Rezzonico-museum.jpg, ''Europa''
(Venice) Asia by Francesco Polazzo - ceiling from palazzo nani in Ca'Rezzonico-museum.jpg, ''Asia''

Portego

In the traditional structure of the Venetian palace, the portego, or passing lounge, was the largest room of the building, intended to play the role of a performance room. This space today presents marble busts of the eighteenth century representing allegorical portraits and figures, while the walls are covered with Red Verona marble.
* ''Lucretia'' by Filippo Parodi Italian sculptor Baroque of the Genoese school, pupil of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Active in Padua and Venice.
* ''Allegory of Envy'' by Giusto Le Court.
* Pair of Atlantis marble supporting a lintel chimney by Alessandro Vittoria (1525 -1608) a sculptor Mannerist of the Venetian school.
* A marble bust of the Pope Innocent XI above the door.
* Busts of Democritus and Heraclitus by Giuseppe Torretti.

Ca' Rezzonico (Venice) - Portego.jpg, Portego
Ca' Rezzonico - Lucrezia - Filippo Parodi.jpg, ''Lucrezia'' by Filippo Parodi
Ca' Rezzonico - Invidia - Giusto le Court.jpg, ''Allegory of Envy'' by Giusto Le Court
Ca' Rezzonico (Venice) - Portego - Telamon (left).jpg, Atlas by Alessandro Vittoria
Ca' Rezzonico (Venice) - Portego - Telamon (right).jpg, Atlas by Alessandro Vittoria
Ca' Rezzonico - Bust of Innocentius XI.jpg, Bust of the Pope Innocent XI
Ca' Rezzonico - Democrito (1705) - Giuseppe Torretti.jpg, Democritus by Giuseppe Torretti
Ca' Rezzonico - Eraclito 1705 - Giuseppe Torretti.jpg, Heraclitus by Giuseppe Torretti

Second floor galleries

Portego paintings

The second (third, in U.S. use), or upper floor, contains a series of galleries displaying Venetian paintings and decorative arts from the 18th century. Several major paintings by Canaletto are on display, including ''Architectural Caprice'' and two views of the Grand Canal, painted in 1719-20 during his youth. They marked the beginning of his famous series of Venice scenes. They were purchased for the museum by the City of Venice in 1983. Another large-scale depiction of the port ''The festival of Saint Martha'' by Gaspare Diziani, is also on display, along with several celebrated scenes of life in Venice during the period by Francesco Guardi.

Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto del cardinale Federico Corner - Bernardo Strozzi.jpg, ''Ritratto del cardinale Federico Corner'' - Bernardo Strozzi
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto di vecchia - Pietro Bellotti.jpg, ''Ritratto di vecchia'' - Pietro Bellotti
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto di gentiluomo in parrucca - Sebastiano Bombelli.jpg, ''Ritratto di gentiluomo in parrucca'' - Sebastiano Bombelli
Ca' Rezzonico - Pastorale - Francesco Zuccarelli.jpg, ''Pastorale'' - Francesco Zuccarelli
Ca' Rezzonico - La Sagra di Santa Marta - Gaspare Diziani.jpg, ''La Sagra di Santa Marta'' - Gaspare Diziani
Ca' Rezzonico - Veduta di porto fluviale - Luca Carlevarijs.jpg, ''Veduta di porto fluviale'' - Luca Carlevarijs
Ca' Rezzonico - Prospettiva con portico - Giuseppe Moretti.jpg, ''Prospettiva con portico'' - Giuseppe Moretti
Ca' Rezzonico - Il convegno diplomatico - Francesco Guardi.jpg, ''Il convegno diplomatico'' - Francesco Guardi
Ca' Rezzonico - Il rio dei Mendicanti - Canaletto.jpg, ''Il rio dei Mendicanti'' - Canaletto
Ca' Rezzonico - Canal Grande da Palazzo Balbi a Rialto C.1722 - Canaletto.jpg, ''Canal Grande da Palazzo Balbi a Rialto'' - Canaletto
Ca' Rezzonico - Mucius Scaevola before Porsenna - Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini.jpg, Mucius Scaevola in front of Porsenna - Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini
Ca' Rezzonico - Interno della basilica di San Pietro a Roma - Giampaolo Pannini.jpg, ''Interno della basilica di San Pietro a Roma'' - Giovanni Paolo Panini
Ca' Rezzonico - La comunione di San Filippo Neri - Giuseppe Angeli.jpg, ''La comunione di San Filippo Neri'' - Giuseppe Angeli
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto di gentiluomo in rosso - Niccolò Cassana.jpg, ''Ritratto di gentiluomo in rosso'' - Niccolò Cassana
Ca' Rezzonico - Giustina Donà dalle Rose Lodovico Gallina.jpg, ''Giustina Donà dalle Rose'' - Lodovico Gallina
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto del Senatore Giovanni Correr (1673-1717) - Antonio Bellucci.jpg, ''Ritratto del Senatore Giovanni Correr'' - Antonio Bellucci
Ca' Rezzonico - Ragazzo con piffero - Domenico Maggiotto.jpg, ''Ragazzo con piffero'' - Domenico Maggiotto
Ca' Rezzonico - Ragazzo con mela - Antonio Marinetti.jpg, ''Ragazzo con mela'' - Antonio Marinetti
Ca' Rezzonico - Testa di vecchio barbuto - Giuseppe Nogari.jpg, ''Testa di vecchio barbuto'' - Giuseppe Nogari
Ca' Rezzonico - Madonna leggente - Francesco Capella.jpg, ''Madonna leggente'' - Francesco Capella

Parlor Room

The Parlor Hall takes its name from Francesco Guardi's painting: ''The Parlor of the Nuns at San Zaccaria'' (1740-1745) exhibited in the hall with , '' The Foyer of Dandolo's palace in San Moisè''. The fresco of the ceiling entitled: Conjugal Concorde crowned by Virtue in the presence of Justice, Prudence, Temperance, Fame, Abundance is a work of Costantino Cedini (Padua, 1741 - Venice, 1811), member of the Guild of the painters of Venice and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice. The fresco was originally in the palace Nani in Cannaregio. It was transferred in the 1930s to its current location. The frame surrounding the fresco is older than a century ago and is due to the quadraturist Antonio Felice Ferrari (1667 - 1720).

Ca' Rezzonico - Sala del Parlatorio.jpg, The room with Francesco Guardi's famous painting
Ca' Rezzonico - Sala del Parlatorio - Concordia coniugale incoronata dalla Virtù alla presenza della Giustizia, della Prudenza, della Temperanza, della Fama,dell’Abbondanza - Costantino Cedini.jpg, The fresco of Costantino Cedini
Ca' Rezzonico - Il Parlatorio delle monache di San Zaccaria - Francesco Guardi.jpg, ''The Parlor of the Nuns at San Zaccaria'' by Francesco Guardi
Ca' Rezzonico - Il Ridotto di palazzo Dandolo a San Moise - Francesco Guardi.jpg, ''The Foyer of Dandolo's palace in San Moisè'' by Francesco Guardi
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto di Francesco Guardi 1764 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, Portrait of Francesco Guardi by Pietro Longhi
Ca' Rezzonico - Martirio di Santa Teodora di Roma - Giambattista Tiepolo.jpg, ''Martyrdom of Saint Theodora of Rome'' by Giambattista Tiepolo
Ca' Rezzonico - Veduta del bacino di San Marco - Pittore veneto fine XVIII secolo.jpg, ''View of St. Mark's Basin''
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto di Samuel Egerton (1730) - Bartolomeo Nazzari.jpg, Samuel Egerton by Bartolomeo Nazari
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto del vescovo Andrea Benedetto Ganassoni - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Benedetto Ganassoni'' by Pietro Longhi
Ca' Rezzonico - Burrasca - Giuseppe Zais.jpg, ''squall'' by Giuseppe Zais

Other Venetian artists whose works can be seen on this floor include Cima da Conegliano, Alvise Vivarini, Bonifacio de' Pitati; Tintoretto, Schiavone, the Bassano family, Paolo Fiammingo, Lambert Sustris; Padovanino and Carpinoni, Pietro Vecchia, Giovanni Segala, Palma il Giovane, Bernardo Strozzi, Francesco Maffei, Giovan Battista Langetti, Pietro Liberi; Balestra, Niccolò Bambini, Piazzetta, Nicola Grassi, Pietro Longhi, Rosalba Carriera, Sebastiano and Marco Ricci, Pellegrini, Amigoni, Antonio Marini, Zuccarelli, Zais, Giuseppe Bernardino Bison, Natale Schiavoni, Ippolito Caffi, Mancini, and Emma Ciardi.

Frescos from Villa Zianigo

A section on the second floor contains rooms with of frescos by Giandomenico Tiepolo, son of Giambattista Tiepolo, which were originally in the Villa Zianigo, near Mirano.

;The hallway
In the corridor leading to the hall, on the left wall, a scene of the liberated Jerusalem of the Cup: "Renaud who abandons the Garden of Armida" by Giandomenico Tiepolo, who was on the ground floor of the villa from Zianigo. On the right wall of the vestibule two canvases of Nicolò Bambini: ''Achilles and the girls of Licomede'' and ''The Sabines' kidnapping''; overcoming these two canvases ''The Apotheosis of Venice'' by Francesco Fontebasso; on the right, an "Allegory of Summer"; on the back wall: ''Falcon chasing a flock of sparrows on the run'' by Giandomenico Tiepolo.

Ca' Rezzonico - Achille e le figlie di Licomede - Nicolo Bambini.jpg, ''Achille e le figlie di Licomede'' by Nicolò Bambini
Ca' Rezzonico - Ratto delle Sabine - Nicolo Bambini.jpg, ''Ratto delle Sabine'' by Nicolò Bambini
Ca' Rezzonico - Apoteosi di Venezia 1730 - Francesco Fontebasso.jpg, ''Apoteosi di Venezia'' by Francesco Fontebasso
Ca' Rezzonico - Rinaldo lasciando il giardino d'Armida c.1770 - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Rinaldo lasciando il giardino d'Armida''
Ca' Rezzonico - Allegory of summer - Camerino del falchetto - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Camerino del falchetto''
Ca' Rezzonico - Falchetto che piomba sullo stormo di passeri in fuga - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Falchetto che piomba sullo stormo di passeri in fuga''

Pulcinella was a standard character in Italian Commedia dell'arte since the 17th century, a figure for ridicule and satire; he wore a tall white hat and gown, a mask, and carried a club or long forks. The frescos were begun in about 1759, and illustrate the stories of Pulcinella in various comic or satiric scenes. They were originally made by the elder Tiepolo for his own country house. They were finished in about 1797.
Another important Tiepolo work is displayed in tho section; the ''New World''; a long fresco in the corridor which was originally on the ground floor of the Villa Zianigo, depicting a line of Venetians, including one in a Pulcinella costume with a long a fork, waiting to look into a magic lantern presentation, ''Promenade'' is said to show Tiepolo himself, to the right, looking at the scene ironically through his eyeglass. On the opposite wall are two more scenes, ''Promenade'' and ''Minuet'', showing, also in a certain ironic vein, Venetian aristocrats dancing and promenading.

The Pulcinella Room, in this section, contains a group of three frescoes by Giandomenico Tiepolo from the Villa, called ''Pulcinella in Love'', ''Pulcinella and the Saltimboques'', and the ''Departure of Pulcinella''. The round fresco on the ceiling depicts Pulcinella seen from below walking across a tightrope. These paintings were made between 1793 and 1797 at the Villa Zianigo, at the time of the first occupation of Venice by the French, and the beginning of downfall of the Venetian Republic, and its particular style of life and art.

The Pulicinella section contains two more rooms, the Cabinet of the Centaurs and the Cabinet of Satyrs, with monochromatic scenes by Giandomenico Tiepolo of themes and creatures. The ceiling of the Cabinet of Centaurs has a red monochrome meed image called ''Rhapsody'', which is said to be a tribute to the poet Homer, along with medallions and images of mythological scenes and creatures. On the ceiling is a large rectangular painting of ''Scenes from Roman History'', and, over the doors, more images of both male and female satyrs.

The Chapel is a room which displays paintings by Giandomenico Tiepolo for the chapel of the Villa Zianigo, which was consecrated in 1758. The paintings are signed by Tiepolo with the date 1759. The main figure in the paintings is Saint Jerome Émilien, depicted with handcuffs to represent his imprisonment in 1511 by soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire, and his liberation, according to the legend, through the intervention of the Virgin Mary.

Ca' Rezzonico - Portego del mondo nuovo - Minuetto in villa di Zianigo - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Minuetto in villa di Zianigo''
Ca' Rezzonico - Portego del mondo nuovo - Ceiling.jpg, Ceiling of ''Mondo Novo'' Hall
Ca' Razzonico - Centauro che rimuove una satira - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Centauro che rimuove una satira''
Ca'Rezzonico - La danza dei satiri - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''La danza dei satiri''
Ca'Rezzonico - L’altalena del satiro - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''L’altalena del satiro''
Ca' Rezzonico - Pulcinelli a riposo by Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Pulcinelli a riposo''
Ca' Rezzonico - Pulcinella innamorato by Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Pulcinella innamorato''
Ca' Rezzonico - Il casotto dei saltimbanchi by Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Il casotto dei saltimbanchi''
Ca' Rezzonico - Altalena dei pulcinelli - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, ''Altalena dei pulcinelli'' - Ceilling
Ca'Rezzonico - Cappella di Zianigo - Madonna col Bambino adorata da San Girolamo Miani e da San Giacomo apostolo - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, Madonna col Bambino adorata da San Girolamo Miani e da San Giacomo apostolo
Ca' Rezzonico - Cappella di Zianigo - San Girolamo Miani - Giandomenico Tiepolo.jpg, Hiëronymus Emiliani

Antonio Guardi Room

Commissioned by Maria Barbarigo Savorgnan from the painter Antonio Guardi, the frescoes of this room were covered with plaster during the nineteenth century and found during a restoration of the Palace Barbarigo Dabalà in 1936. Detached and mounted they were transferred to Ca' Rezzonico. They are three in number: ''Minerva''; ''Venus and Love before Vulcan's forge''; and ''Apollo''. The frescoes were framed with plasterwork. These restored frescoes are the only examples of this type of work by Guardi. The ''Veiled Lady'', represents the allegory of Purity, is the work of the Venetian sculptor Antonio Corradini, who was known for his depiction of figures under veils.

Ca' Rezzonico - Minerva - Gianantonio Guardi.jpg, ''Minerva''
Ca' Rezzonico - Apollo - Gianantonio Guardi.jpg, ''Apollo''
Ca' Rezzonico - Venere e Amore di fronte alla fucina di Vulcano - Gianantonio Guardi.jpg, ''Venere e Amore di fronte alla fucina di Vulcano''
(Venice) Battle scene by Antonio Guardi - Ca'Rezzonico-museum.jpg, ''Battel '' Gianantonio Guardi
(Venice) Duel between knights by Antonio Guardi - Ca'Rezzonico-museum.jpg, ''Duel between knights'' Gianantonio Guardi
Antonio Corradini - Dama Velata (Puritas) - Museo del Settecento Veneziano - Ca' Rezzonico, Venice.jpg, ''The Veiled Lady'' (1772) by Corradini

Longhi Hall

The paintings in this room offer the opportunity to compare two different trends in the Venetian painting school of the Eighteenth century: vivid, sensual, rococo, visible in the allegorical and mythological works of Giambattista Tiepolo, with a ceiling, "zephyr and Flore" ironic and the critical spirit of the Venetian Lights, visible in the paintings of Pietro Longhi hanging on the walls. The canvas of Tiepolo, painted in the 1730s for Ca' Pesaro, is part of the beginnings of his work. The joint presence of Zephyr, one of the four winds, and Flore is a reference to spring, so to fertility. The colors are bright and transparent. The artist has virtually drawn sensual flesh tones and accentuated color contrasts. Pietro Longhi's series of paintings on the walls depict scenes from everyday life; a visit to a painting studio, a hairdresser at work, scenes of family and family life, concerts, events and entertainment. Longhi appears in them as an insightful observer of forms and ways of life, submitting in detail the empty habits and pompous weaknesses of his heroes and their world. He distinguishes himself by presenting house interiors as, to a certain extent, by Canaletto with his vedute.

Ca' Rezzonico (Venice) - Longhi Room.jpg, Longhi Hall
Ca' Rezzonico (Venice) - Longhi Room - Ceilling by Tiepolo.jpg, Longhi Room - Ceilling by Giambattista Tiepolo
Ca' Rezzonico - La filatrice - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La filatrice'' 1740, by Pietro Longhi
Ca' Rezzonico - Le lavandaie - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Le lavandaie'' 1740
Ca' Rezzonico - La Polenta - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La Polenta'' 1740
Ca' Rezzonico - La venditrice di frittole - Pietro longhi 1755.jpg, ''La venditrice di frittole'' 1755
Ca' Rezzonico - L'allegra coppia - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''L'allegra coppia'' 1740
Ca' Rezzonico - Il concertino in famiglia - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Il concertino in famiglia'' 1752
Ca' Rezzonico - Il Ciarlatano - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Il Ciarlatano'' 1757
Ca' Rezzonico - La cioccolata del mattino - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La cioccolata del mattino'' 1775
Ca' Rezzonico - La scuola di lavoro - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La scuola di lavoro'' 1752
Ca' Rezzonico - La venditrice di essenze - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La venditrice di essenze'' 1756
Ca' Rezzonico - La Furlana 1750 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La furlane'' 1750
Ca' Rezzonico - Famiglia Patrizia 1755 - Pietro Longhi .jpg, ''Famiglia Patrizia'' 1755
Ca' Rezzonico - La famiglia Rezzonico - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La famiglia Rezzonico'' 1758
Ca' Rezzonico -Ritratto di William Graham duca di Montrose e del suo aiutante Giovanni Moser de Filsek 1755 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Portrait of William Graham (2e duc de Montrose)'' 1755
Ca' Rezzonico - Colloquio fra baute - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Colloquio fra baute'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - La visita al convento - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La visita al convento'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - La visita in bauta - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La visita in bauta'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - Il gigante Magrat 1760 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Il gigante Magrath'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - Gli alchimisti 1757 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Gli alchimisti'' 1757
Ca' Rezzonico - Ritratto di Adriana Giustinian Barbarigo - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Ritratto di Adriana Giustinian Barbarigo'' 1776-1779
Ca' Rezzonico - La pettinatrice - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La pettinatrice'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - L'indovina 1752 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''L'indovina'' 1752
Ca' Rezzonico - La passaggiata a cavallo - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La passaggiata a cavallo'' 1755-1760
Ca' Rezzonico - La prova dell'abito - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La prova dell'abito'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - La toeletta 1760 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''La toeletta'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - Il parrucchiere - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Il parrucchiere'' 1760
Ca' Rezzonico - Visita all'ammalato 1774 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Visita all'ammalato'' 1774
Ca' Rezzonico - Visita del frate - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''Visita del frate'' 1775
Ca' Rezzonico - L'ambasciata del moro 1751 - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''L'ambasciata del moro'' 1751
Ca' Rezzonico - Il rinoceronte 1751 - Pietro Longhi .jpg, ''Il rinoceronte'' 1751
Ca' Rezzonico - L'atelier del pittore - Pietro Longhi.jpg, ''L'atelier del pittore'' 1740

Green lacquer room

The decoration of this piece (''Sala delle Lacche Verdi'') is a set of furniture painted green and gold, called ''Salotto Calbo-Crotta'' with chinoiserie motifs, very popular in Venetian eighteenth century. The set comes from Palazzo Calbo Crotta in Cannaregio. On the ceiling of the hall is the fresco of Giovanni Antonio Guardi's triumph of Diana, from the Barbarigo-Dabalà palace to Angelo Raffaele. The allegorico-mythological work, created in the 1850s, is a perfect example of the talent of the artist in the style of rock, bright and full of fantasy. The walls of the room are decorated with vedute and landscapes.
* ''Landscape with monks and travelers'' and ''Landscape with mill and laundress'' by Marco Ricci, Italian vedute engraver and painter. Main initiator Venetian landscape in the eighteenth century.
* ''Caprice with an arch'' and ''Caprice with the fountain of Neptune'' by Luca Carlevarijs.
* ''Landscape with marine'' and ''Landscape with a caravan'' by Johann Anton Eismann, an Austrian painter born in Salzburg and active in Verona and Venice. He mainly painted scenes of port and battle genre. He died in Venice in 1698.
* ''Landscape with a waterfall'' and ''Landscape with a marine'' by Jacob de Heusch, Dutch painter of the golden century. He is known for his paintings of Italian landscapes.
* From Giuseppe Zais, already met in other rooms: ''Landscape'', ''Landscape with shepherds'', ''Landscape with milking''

Mobilio laccato di verde a cineserie da palazzo calbo crotta a cannaregio, 01.jpg, Green lacquer room
Antonio guardi, trionfo di diana, da pal. barbarigo dabalà, 1750-60 ca.jpg, ''Trionfo di diana'' - Ceiling
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con monaci e viandanti - Marco Ricci.jpg, ''Paesaggio con monaci e viandanti'' by Marco Ricci
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con mulino e lavandaie - Marco Ricci.jpg, ''Paesaggio con mulino e lavandaie'' by Marco Ricci
Ca' Rezzonico - Capriccio con arco - Luca Carlevarijs.jpg, ''Capriccio con arco'' by Luca Carlevarijs
Ca' Rezzonico - Capriccio con la fontana di Nettuno - Luca Carlevarijs.jpg, ''Capriccio con la fontana di Nettuno'' by Luca Carlevarijs
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con marina - Johan Anton Eismann.jpg, ''Paesaggio con marina'' by Johann Anton Eisman
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con Carovana - Johann Anton Eismann.jpg, ''Paesaggio con Carovana'' by Johann Anton Eisman
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con cascata - Jacob de Heusch.jpg, ''Paesaggio con cascata'' by Jacob de Heusch
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con marina - Jacob de Heusch.jpg, ''Paesaggio con marina'' by Jacob de Heusch
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con pastore - Giuseppe Zais.jpg, ''Paesaggio con pastore'' by Giuseppe Zais
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio - Giuseppe Zais.jpg, ''Paesaggio'' by Giuseppe Zais
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con la mungitura - Giuseppe Zais.jpg, ''Paesaggio con la mungitura'' by Giuseppe Zais
Ca' Rezzonico - Paesaggio con riposo al torrente - Giuseppe Zais.jpg, ''Paesaggio con riposo al torrente'' by Giuseppe Zais

Third Floor and mezzanine: Martini Collection and Mestrovich Collection

The third and top floor (second floor in U.S. usage) has a recreation of an 18th-century Venetian pharmacy, which was reconstituted in 1936 with original materials from a pharmacy of the period. It also includes an art gallery devoted to the collection of 264 paintings of collector Egidio Martini, including works from the 15th to the end of the 19th century by the major Venetian masters. It occupies nearly the entire third floor. It includes important works by Bernardo Strozzi, Francesco Maffei, Pietro Vecchia, the Tiepolos father and son, Giambattista Piazzetta, Gaspare Diziani, and other major Venetian masters.

The mezzanine, reached by the stairway to the ground floor, contains another gallery displaying the Mestrovich Collection, by Ferrucio Mestrovich, whose family lived in Dalmatia, and who emigrated to Venice in 1945. He donated his collection to the museum in December 2001 and October 2009. It consists of about thirty paintings from the 15th to 20th century. It includes major works by Jacopo Tintoretto and Bonifazio Veronese, among others.

Other major works that can be seen on the top floor include the historical ''The Death of Darius'' by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta; and a collection of three portraits by Pietro Bellotti. Also represented in the museum collection, with a pastel, is the Venetian artist Maria Molin.

See also

* List of buildings and structures in Venice

References

Bibliography

*
*

External links

*
Giambattista Tiepolo, 1696-1770
a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which includes material on Ca' Rezzonico
Virtual tour of the Ca' Rezzonico
provided by Google Arts & Culture
*

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Art museums and galleries in Venice
Art museums and galleries established in 1936
Baldassare Longhena buildings
Baroque architecture in Venice
Houses completed in 1758
Rezzonico
Rezzonico