The Grand Canal above the Rialto c. late 1760s

Francesco Guardi, sometime in the 1700s, painted ‘The Grand Canal above the Rialto’ in oil on canvas. Guardi painted Venice when the city was past its prime as a trading power, and was instead a popular destination for wealthy tourists. With the rise of the Grand Tour, Venice became a spectacle, an object of desire for the privileged classes. Guardi’s paintings catered to this market, offering picturesque views that tourists could take home as souvenirs. They perpetuate a romantic vision of the city, carefully omitting any signs of social inequality or political tension. The canal bustles with gondolas, but who are the people being transported and what stories are missing from the frame? This view presents a carefully constructed image, a version of Venice tailored for consumption by the wealthy elite. Guardi’s painting, beautiful as it is, reminds us to look critically at the images we consume and to consider the stories they tell and the ones they leave out.