San Biagio on the Giudecca 1764 - 1835

Giacomo Guardi made this pen and wash drawing of San Biagio on the Giudecca in the late 18th or early 19th century. Guardi was part of a family of Venetian painters, and he is known for his vedute, or views, of Venice. This drawing captures a slice of Venetian life, but it also prompts us to consider the identities and labor that are embedded in the scene. Notice the gondoliers, who were often working-class men, navigating the canals. These were the people who moved goods and people around the city, but were rarely the subject of paintings. What stories do these figures tell us about the social fabric of Venice at the time? Guardi’s drawing exists in a tension between the picturesque and the everyday. It invites us to reflect on how art can both idealize and document the world around us. In what ways can this artwork help us reflect on the intersections of place, labor, and identity?