Venice, the Isola di San Lazzaro degli Armeni; Venice, the Isola di Sant'Elena

Francesco Guardi succeeded Canaletto as the most celebrated painter of Venetian views in the second half of the 18^th century. His ethereal panoramas were popular with the nobility traveling through Italy on their Grand Tour, for which Venice was an essential destination. Paintings such as this small scale pair were acquired as souvenirs of their visit, sometimes commissioned by patrons but often created specifically for this passing tourist trade. These specific views, of the islands of San Lazzaro degli Armeni and of Sant’Elena, are unusual in Guardi’s oeuvre yet the poetic treatment of the lagoon, executed in rapid brushstrokes and bathed in silvery light, is entirely in keeping with the artist’s style.