Francesco Guardi's Venice: Gulbenkian Paintings Return to Ca' Rezzonico

Ten paintings from the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon are on display at Ca' Rezzonico in Venice until June 8, 2026. The works, acquired by Armenian entrepreneur and philanthropist Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian between 1907 and 1921, form one of the world's most significant collections dedicated to Venetian painter Francesco Guardi. During World War II, the paintings were hidden in Paris, then moved to London, Welsh mines, Washington, and finally Lisbon in 1969. The exhibited canvases, dated between 1770 and 1790, include 'Festa dell'Ascensione in Piazza San Marco,' 'La Partenza del Bucintoro,' and 'Regata sul Canal Grande.' The exhibition also features drawings from civic collections that Gulbenkian never sought to acquire—sketches on poor paper, old letters, and wrapping paper—revealing a more private Guardi. Among them is 'Le Nozze del duca di Polignac' and a depiction of the Rialto Bridge according to Palladio's unrealized project. Curated by Alberto Craievich, the show contrasts Guardi's celebrated paintings with his intimate studio drawings, both sharing the same Venetian light.