Marieschi: A Painter of Views

Michele Marieschi - The Grand Canal with the Ca' Rezzonico and the Campo San Samuele - c. 1742 - Oil on canvas, 55 x 84 cm - Staatliche Museen, Berlin (click photo for larger image)Venetian painter Michele Marieschi (1710-1743) is much less well known to the public at large than some of his more famous contemporaries (such as Canaletto and Guardi). This is due, in part, to the fact that the painter died as a young man. Our knowledge of his work is still rather limited. In his best work Marieschi proved himself to be a master with a style all his own, generally characterized by dark tones and loose brushwork. In the painting featured here, the small figures animating the scene (known as the staffage) are ascribed to Giovanni Antonio Guardi.