Miniature Portrait Of A Lady, Attributed To Francesco Guardi (1712-1793)

Francesco GUARDI (1712-1793)
Portrait of a Lady

Oil on copper
5 1/8 x 4 3/8 in
13 x 11 cm

Provenance
Private collection, France

We are pleased to present an exceptional work, a miniature on copper measuring 13 x 11 cm, portraying a lady’s portrait. This painting, from a private collection in France, is convincingly attributed to Francesco Guardi (Venice 1712-1793). Although Guardi is primarily renowned for his Venetian views and capricci, his work as a portraitist is less known and, therefore, all the more precious.
Guardi began his career under the influence of his brother Gianantonio in religious painting and evolved to become one of the great vedutisti of the 18th century, developing a free and dynamic touch influenced by Canaletto, but also marked by an expressive originality unique to him. This miniature, in its technique and execution, recalls several portraits attributed to Guardi, such as the Portrait of a Lady (oil on copper, 7 x 5.5 cm) from the Warneck collection (1936), or the Portrait of a Young Noble (oil on copper, 11 x 9 cm), sold by Sotheby’s in 1980.
We invite you to explore the attached research supporting this attribution, which links this work to other stylistic examples by Guardi, and to appreciate its unique place in the stylistic evolution of this artist. With its lively touch and refined execution, this work showcases Guardi’s talent as a portraitist and his approach to the pittura di tocco, that airy technique which gives his works a singular and poetic atmosphere.