An Architectural Caprice
- Artist: Francesco Guardi
- Date: 1770-8
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "An Architectural Caprice" painted in the Italian north by Francesco Guardi. We're looking at a scene that feels like a snapshot of city life, perhaps even a real moment captured by the artist. In the foreground, an archway from the Torre dell'Orologio gives way to buildings and a staircase from the inner courtyard of the Doge's Palace.
Notice how Guardi has exaggerated the width of the archway and the distance to the arches beyond, drawing our eye further into the painting. The staircase contributes to the sense of grandeur in this scene. You might also notice that the archway is partially in shadow, while patches of intense sunlight cut across the floor and wall to the left.
The artist has taken delight in depicting particular details - like the statue above the door on the left and the white cloth draped over the windowsill, as well as the hanging lantern opposite. Two men are giving money to a beggar boy in the foreground, while a woman walks away from us, her yellow dress catching our eye.
This painting captures the essence of Venice with its mixture of Gothic and classical buildings, the rich and the poor, dark shadows and brilliant sunlight. It's one of several Venetian paintings gifted to this gallery as part of the Salting Bequest.
See it in person
An Architectural Caprice hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
