The Gulbenkian Museum is privileged to own twenty paintings by Guardi, nineteen of which are in the permanent exhibition. The quality of the works and the diversity of genres - vedute, feste and capricci - make this the world's most complete collection of Guardi's work. Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian purchased the nucleus from famous galleries in Paris and London at a relatively early stage, between 1909 and 1921. The collector's interest in Guardi's work is all the more unusual since, in the nineteenth century, the artist's paintings were often confused with Canaletto's work. Only in the early twentieth century was his work truly reassessed and a critical approach made to the "Guardi question". The paintings at the Gulbenkian Collection demonstrate different phases in the artist's career, with the larger canvases showing superb images of Venice's most famous places. These include The Feast of the Ascension in Piazza San Marco (inv. no. 390) and its pendant Regatta on the Grand Canal (inv. no. 391), which was inspired by a painting by Canaletto. The famed ostentation of the republic's festivals also appears in The Departure of the Bucintoro. Smaller works include less formal architectural capricci dominated by classical-style elements. Like the former pieces, these works contrast with other, more sombre, paintings such as views of the outskirts of Venice (The Giudecca Canal with the Church of Santa Marta). This work and The Lock Gates at Dolo reveal an interesting facet of the painter's work: unlike Canaletto, he was inspired by the people's daily lives, as magnificently exemplified in the panel Bridge over the Brenta. Support from his workshop and the disputed contribution of his son Giacomo also appear in works, such as The Grand Canal at the Rialto Bridge (inv. no. 488), which are now believed to have been produced in partnership. Later paintings such as View of the Quay with the Ducal Palace (inv. no. 491) and above all the dusk-lit The Island of S. Giorgio Maggiore unveil the melancholy beauty of a culture in its twilight.
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| The Feast of the Ascension
in the Piazza S. Marco Venice, c. 1775 Oil on canvas MCG Inv. 390 |
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| Regatta on the Grand Canal Venice, c. 1770 Oil on canvas MCG Inv. 391 |
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| The Departure of the Bucintoro Venice, c. 1765-80 Oil on canvas MCG Inv. 392 |
