Capriccio of Classical Ruins on a Shore
1751 to 1775
Medium
pen and black and brown ink with gray and brown wash on laid paper
Dimensions
overall (approximate): 52.2 x 35.2 cm (20 9/16 x 13 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Howard Sturges
Accession Number
1956.9.18
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of *Capriccio of Classical Ruins on a Shore*, a captivating drawing by Venetian artist Giacomo Guardi, created between 1751 and 1775. This intricate work on laid paper measures about 52 x 35 cm and depicts an imaginative composition of ancient ruins dramatically perched along a shoreline. Guardi, part of the esteemed Guardi family of painters, masterfully blends real architectural elements with fantasy, evoking the grandeur of antiquity against a serene seascape—a hallmark of the *capriccio* genre. Rendered in pen with black and brown ink, enhanced by subtle gray...
About the Artist
Giacomo Guardi · 1764–1835
Giacomo Guardi (1764–1835) was a Venetian painter who worked in the long shadow of his celebrated father, Francesco Guardi, one of the greatest vedutisti — view painters — of the eighteenth century. Born into one of Venice's most prominent artistic families, Giacomo received his training directly from his father, absorbing both the technical methods and the characteristic style that had made Franc...