38 FRANCESCO GUARDI Italian, 1712­1793 A Theatrical Performance Pen and brown ink with brown wash, over black chalk 27.4 x 38.4 cm (10 13/16 x 15 in.) Cat. II, no. 19; 89.GG.51 The subject is a theatrical performance, apparently in the presence of a Russian noble couple, christened by the Venetians the "conti del Nord" (evidently to avoid the inconvenience of pronouncing their names in Russian). Grand Duke Paul Petrovitch (the later Czar Paul I) and his wife, Maria Fedorovna, were the guests of the Venetian republic January 18—25, 1782. Here the couple are seen enjoying a performance of the commedia dell'arte staged on their behalf on January 21. The visit was considered of such great moment that Guardi also recorded some of the other entertainments arranged for them, such as a Concert (Canterbury, Royal Museum) and a Banquet (Saint Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum). Like his fellow Venetian Canaletto (see no. 37), Guardi was mostly a painter of views of his native Venice, though in his lifetime he did not receive the acclaim of his more illustrious contemporary. Compared with Canaletto's work, Guardi's more vibrantly painted scenes, interiors as well as exteriors, with their much greater freedom of brushwork, suggest instead a more bustling city. They convey the energy of contemporary life, the sense of movement of the crowd, and the excitement of the public spectacle. This same sense of energy is conveyed equally in his drawings. ITALIAN SCHOOL 49