GUARDI, Francesco
(b. 1712, Venezia, d. 1793, Venezia)

Fire in the Oil Depot at San Marcuola

1789
Oil on canvas, 42 x 62 cm
Alte Pinakothek, Munich

This painting records a fire that broke out on November 28, 1789. The glow of the fire has inspired an extraordinary, almost spectral night scene with the orange flames forming a barrier between the people and the houses, all painted with vivid, light brushstrokes.

The painting seems the allegory of a dying city, as Venice's final loss of freedom drew closer.




© Web Gallery of Art, created by Emil Krén and Daniel Marx.