austingifford: Francesco Guardi (Italian, 1712-1793) A Capriccio with a Ruined Gothic Arch, 1770/89

Francesco Guardi (Italian, 1712-1793)
A Capriccio with a Ruined Gothic Arch, 1770/89
Pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, over traces of black chalk, on ivory laid paper;175x248 mm
Francesco Guardi though respected posthumously died a realtive unknown. He studied under the famous Venetian painter Canaletto. Guardi was a master of capricci a style popular in Venice that blends fantasy and reality.
The composition of this drawing was used in a couple of his paintings.