View of Campo San Zanipolo with the Temporary Platform Erected for the Visit of Pope Pius VI

1782

Pen and brown ink and brush and brown wash, with traces of black chalk, on ivory laid paper

32.3 × 34.1 cm (12.7 × 13.4 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

A study for one of a set of four paintings commissioned by the Venetian Republic to commemorate Pope Pius V’s state visit to Venice in 1782, this drawing is associated with the blessing the Pope conferred upon its citizens. Francesco Guardi’ssketch is an accurate rendering of the monuments and architecture in the Campo San Giovanni e Paolo square, including the temporary benediction platform and its access ramps in front of the Scuola di San Marco, seen in the left background. Guardi achieved his atmospheric effects by carefully modulating the wash against untreated areas of paper, resulting in a sense of flickering shadows and reflected sunlight.

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