The Church of the Redentore from the Giudecca Canal
ca. 1804–28
Medium
Pen and brown ink, gray wash
Dimensions
4 9/16 x 7 3/8 in. (11.6 x 18.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.360
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing by Giacomo Guardi captures the iconic Church of the Redentore as viewed from the Giudecca Canal in Venice. Created between 1804 and 1828, the work reflects the enduring appeal of Venetian views, or vedute, a tradition the artist inherited from his father, Francesco Guardi. The composition highlights the church’s elegant Palladian façade rising above the water, framed by the lively presence of boats that suggest the canal’s constant activity. Executed in pen and brown ink with gray wash on a modest scale, the drawing demonstrates Guardi’s skillful use of line and subtle t...
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...