The Grand Canal, Venice, looking towards the Rialto Bridge

As the unique history and splendour of Venice drew in ever-growing crowds of tourists in the eighteenth century, view painting established itself as a genre in its own right, catering in the main for those hungry for a memento of their Grand Tour. Francesco Guardi’s ability to capture the dramatic intensity of life in the city is displayed in this lot; in a manner characteristic of his late works, the frenetic energy of the city is portrayed through the use of his dashes of paint in the figures in the water. Whilst the water itself is calm, it is broken up with further restless lines, which is juxtaposed by the thin, wispy portrayals of fabric in the blustering wind on the gondolas and balconies above. The Rialto Bridge rises to a pinnacle as the central focal point of the composition, seemingly growing up towards the sunlight, whilst, just behind, a ray breaks through the clouds and bathes the corner palazzo in gold.