HOPE, ABUNDANCE

Francesco Guardi /Italian     1712-1793. SN 189 & 190, Oils on Canvas, c. 1747

From: The Pages
       
ARTIST:
Franceso Guardi's reputation rests on his atmospheric views of Venice. He is the best known member of a family of artists, and is now famous for the views of Venice which made him, next to Canaletto, the most celebrated view painter of the 18th century. His early career, however, was spent painting religious and allegorical subjects in the studio of his older brother Antonio until the latter's death in 1760. It was only then that Francesco seemed to concentrate on the Venetian scenes for which he is famous. He also designed for the stage.

Both Guardis practiced the same manner, and often collaborated to such an extent that it is difficult to distinguish the work of one from the other. The brothers' style at this point was an amalgam of the styles of Pellegrini, Piazetta, and Tiepolo, who dominated Venetian art during the first half of the 18th century. Recognition of his genius came in the wake of Impressionism, when his vibrant and rapidly painted views were seen as having the qualities of spontaneity, bravura and atmosphere lacking in Canaletto's sharply defined and deliberate works.

SUBJECT:
The women are defined by their symbols. "Hope," a young woman cradling a bouquet of flowers in her skirt, stands at the seashore holding the anchor of faith; in the distance a boat glides out to sea.

"Abundance" is a young woman dressed in orange, who holds a basket with her characteristic sheaf of wheat, which she scatters; in the background are two men and a boat.

"Fortitude" is represented by the 2 winged putti playing at the young womens' feet, amongst the broken columns - a reference to the Philistine temple destroyed by Samson - & the fact that love assists the virtue of fortitude.

The background may be the Adriatic, thus connecting Venice & her fishermen with these virtues.

PAINTING:
In the Rococo style, the figures are rendered in feathery brushstrokes that seem to dissolve them in thin air. Light flickers over the surface, making them more dreamlike than real. Guardi was a master of "di tocco" (of touch), opening the way for the Impressionists of the next century. The subject is characteristic of the religious & decorative pieces Francesco painted as a young man.

It is not known who commissioned these paintings. In the past, the panels were thought to have been organ shutters or cupboard doors, commissioned by a church or confraternity. But the meaning is purely secular, so it is more probable that the panels were originally one painting which was later divided. This theory is borne out by the background, which is continuous, as is the action of the putti.

Abundance (on the left) and Hope (on the right) bestow stability and security to the ship, as they do to man on the tempestuous sea of life.

Other Information:

Once Francesco's fame was established at the beginning of the 20th century, and his mannerisms were recognized, imitations and clever forgeries were produced - particularly during the 1920's and 30's. Some of these passed into museum collections and remained undetected for some time.