Venice: The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute 1732 - 1793

Francesco Guardi painted "Venice: The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute" in oil on canvas. The pale light and fluid brushstrokes create a sense of airy spaciousness, softening the architectural forms of Venice. Guardi uses a high horizon line, which flattens the composition and emphasizes surface patterns. Notice the reflections on the water, rendered with loose, flickering strokes. These create a shimmering effect and a sense of movement. The texture and layering of the paint is particularly evident here. The painting's structure is a network of intersecting lines and planes. This network destabilizes any fixed perspective, encouraging a more fragmented reading of the scene. This challenges the traditional picturesque view of Venice by focusing on atmospheric effects and the dynamic interplay of light and shadow. It is in these formal qualities that the true subject of the painting lies.