Francesco Guardi (Venice 1712-1793)

This precise view, showing the island of San Cristoforo della Pace near Murano, was only treated on a handful of occasions by Guardi. The most comparable is a canvas of slightly larger dimensions (47.5 x 76.2 cm.), formerly with Agnew’s (A. Morassi, op. cit., I, no. 647; II, fig. 609), which Morassi dated to circa 1780; it is likely that the picture in question dates to the same period, with its poeticism and shimmering light typical of Guardi’s maturity. The façade of the church of San Cristoforo is seen from across the lagoon near the Fondamenta Nuove, with a scattering of figures on the promenade and a serene arrangement of boats in the water, each placed carefully to generate the impression of depth and distance.

The present day view is considerably altered. In Guardi’s time, San Cristoforo was reserved for monastic use, with the convent run by the Order of Saint Augustine. But after the community was moved to Santo Stefano, both the church and convent on the island were demolished in 1810 to make way for a new cemetery in order to satisfy Napoleon’s decree that burials no longer take place in the city’s historic centre. The island of San Cristoforo then merged with San Michele, leaving the island as it appears today, with the cemetery becoming the resting place for many renowned figures.