Giovanni Antonio
Guardi

Italian painter, the elder brother of Francesco Guardi. Also known by the name of Gianantonio Guardi. He studied with his father, Domenico Guardi, a native of the Trentino, and then in private school P. Strudel. In 1716, after the death of his father he headed for his workshop, where he studied the younger brothers, Francesco (1712-1793) and Niccolo (1715-1786), who later became the staff of Giovanni Antonio.

Works of Domenico Guardi have not survived, so it is difficult to establish that Giovanni Antonio had inherited from his father. However, in his work the influence of Giovanni Battista Piazzetta and Sebastiano Ricci. In Venice Giovanni Antonio, he attended the workshop Carlo Lotta and took lessons from decorator M. Almonte. In 1756 he became a member of the Academy of arts of Venice. Workshop of Giovanni Antonio Guardi fulfill large orders: altar image for churches, paintings on historical and mythological subjects, portraits for individuals, paintings of flowers in the manner of Viennese painters. A significant portion of orders has been associated with the writing of copies of works by famous Venetian masters, which were in great demand. It is known that in the workshop of Giovanni Antonio Guardi executed copies of works by Paolo Veronese, Titian, Tintoretto, Jacopo Bassano, Sebastiano Ricci, Domenico fetti, with portraits of contemporary French artists. In 1730-1745 workshop had orders from field Marshal of the Venetian Republic, who led her fortification buildings Matthias von der Schulenburg, a member of the war with the Turks. Giovanni Antonio executed for his formal portraits of the field Marshal, members of the reigning houses of Europe, and wrote three paintings (1742-1743) of scenes from the life of the Turks. Perhaps these works were attended by Francesco Guardi, as indicated by the difference in manner of performance.

The question of the degree of participation of each of the brothers in the joint works can be defined with difficulty, although it is established that Giovanni Antonio had some figures, and Francesco was a born landscape painter. Most significantly the participation of Giovanni Antonio Guardi painting of the three lunettes of sacristy the parish Church of Vigo d Anaunia in Trento. Performed here in the compositions of the Madonna and child in glory and saints Rocco, Niccolo, Charles Borromeo and Anthony of Padua; St. Among the Holy Trinity and the four evangelists, and "the Seven sorrows of virgin Mary, four saints and four fathers of the Church" (Dresden Art gallery) was influenced by Sebastiano Ricci.

In sacristy Church of Vigo d Anaunia in Trento preserved murals vases with bouquets, braided vines baskets with fruits and flowers on a light blue background (in the work involved, perhaps, and Francesco). The tradition of writing these still lifes Dating back to the Viennese school of painting, the master of which relied on Dutch and Flemish works of this genre.

With brother Francesco and, perhaps, full of paintings of scenes from ancient history "scaevola", "Triumph of Marcus Aurelius", "the Magnanimity of Scipio, Death of Sophonisba" (Oslo, Villa Bogstad). Scene rendered with theatrical pathos and melodrama, the figures depicted among the ancient ruins covered by the rapid rhythm of the Baroque movement, which echoes the expressive floating DAB of Giovanni Antonio.

After 1755 Giovanni Antonio created a series of five painted panels to the poem Torquato tasso Jerusalem delivered (London, private collection). He became interested in this topic, inspired by the engravings of Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1745), whom he befriended while working for Matthias von der Schulenburg. Panels executed in vivid colours. Arcadia, an idyllic poem of tasso passed in scenes full of fantasy and magic, reminiscent of a surreal world of theatrical flab, as in painting Sebastiano Ricci.

One of the most significant works performed by the workshop of Giovanni Antonio Guardi in 1749-1752, were painted side shutters wooden parapet on the Venetian Church of the Archangel Raphael. On the panels depict scenes from the Book of Tobit, which tells about a blind old man Tavita and his son Tobiah. Scientists differ in opinion about whether these paintings the work of Francesco or both of the brothers. Painting folds on like it echoed wonderful music, and they sound like stretching the last note of the exquisite world of dreams Rococo.

Giovanni Antonio Guardi is hardly less significant artist than Francesco Guardi. His name firmly in the history of European art of the 18th century.