''View of the Cannaregio Canal'' was painted by

Francesco Guardi Francesco Lazzaro Guardi (; 5 October 1712 – 1 January 1793) was an Italian painter, nobleman, and a member of the Venetian School. He is considered to be among the last practitioners, along with his brothers, of the classic Venetian school of ...

around 1770. It is a small oil on canvas painting measuring 48.9 × 77.5 cm. It now hangs in the reading room of the

Frick Art Reference Library The Frick Art Reference Library is the research arm of The Frick Collection. Its reference services have temporarily relocated to the Breuer building at 945 Madison Avenue, called Frick Madison, during the renovation of the Frick's historic build ...

alongside the '' Regatta in Venice''. Both paintings were gifted to the

Frick Collection The Frick Collection is an art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection (normally at the Henry Clay Frick House, currently at the 945 Madison Avenue#2021–present: Frick Madison, Frick Madison) features Old Master paintings and Europe ...

Helen Clay Frick Helen Clay Frick (September 2, 1888 – November 9, 1984) was an American philanthropist and art collector. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the third child of the coke and steel magnate Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919) and his wife ...

after her father's death. In the painting, Guardi captures a typical scene of Venetian life on the canals. In this particular veduta, Guardi depicts a section of the northern bank of the

Cannaregio Canal The Cannaregio Canal is one of the main waterways of Venice, Italy. Landmarks *Palazzo Labia *Palazzo Venier-Manfrin * Palazzo Savorgnan *Palazzo Bonfadini Vivante Palazzo Bonfadini Vivante is a palace in Venice, Italy located in the Cannaregi ...

, one of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

’s largest canals, located in the

Cannaregio Cannaregio () is the northernmost of the six historic ''sestieri'' (districts) of Venice. It is the second largest ''sestiere'' by land area and the largest by population, with 13,169 people . Isola di San Michele, the historic cemetery island, ...

''sestiere'' (district) of the city. The

Palazzo Surian Bellotto Palazzo Surian Bellotto is a Baroque palace in Venice, Italy. The palazzo is located in the Cannaregio district and overlooks the Cannaregio Canal. History This palace, one among the most imposing of the Cannaregio Canal, was built in the 17th ...

is the most prominent building in the painting, named after the two different families who owned the palace: first the Surian family and then the Bellotto family. The

Ponte dei Tre Archi The ''Ponte dei Tre Archi'' (Italian for "Three Arches' Bridge") is one of the main bridges of Venice, Italy, along with the ''Ponte delle Guglie'', the other bridge spanning the Cannaregio Canal, and the four bridges spanning the ''Canal Grande'' ...

connects the northern bank with the small fragment of the southern bank. The bridge’s arch acts as a viewfinder, focusing the viewer’s gaze onto the tiny patch of pure blue, breaking up the otherwise entirely urban landscape. Another building that features in this view is the Santa Maria delle Penitenti. It is recognizable by its circular window below the roof and placement behind the Ponte dei Tre Archi. This church was designed by

Giorgio Massari Giorgio Massari (13 October 1687 – 20 December 1766) was an Italian late-Baroque architect from Venice. He designed the Villa Lattes near Treviso in 1715, the church of Santo Spritito in Udine, the church of Santa Maria della Pace 1720–46 in ...

in 1725 and the façade was never completed. Guardi takes care to ensure its recognizability despite its modest appearance.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:View of the Cannaregio Canal 1770 paintings Paintings by Francesco Guardi Paintings in the Frick Collection Cityscape paintings of Venice