An Imaginary View of a Venetian Lagoon, with a Fortress by the Shore

Francesco Guardi based this drawing on a picture much like one by Luca Carlevarijs, now in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, London. It is a capriccio, an imaginary view that was popular in Italy in the 1700s, and Guardi created many similar imaginary scenes of Venetian life. This scene is rendered in light brown tones, with both pen and ink, with wash. The shoreline is accented with white highlights. The combination of hazy brown shading and placid water gives the impression of a summer evening, just before sunset.