GUARDI, FRANCESCO (171 2—I 793), Venetian painter, born at Pinzolo, a Tyrolese mountain village. He was a pupil of Antonio Canale and excelled in painting views of Venice. Guardi is noticeable for spirited touch, sparkling colour, atmospheric effects and picturesquely sketched figures. Two large pictures in the Museo Correr, Venice, representing a "Masquerade in the Ridotto" and a "Reception Room in a Convent" are remarkable for their harmonious colour, true values and freedom of execution. Many of his works are to be found in England and nine in the Louvre.
See George A. Simonson, Francesco Guardi (1904) ; G. Fiocco, Francesco Guardi (1923) .