'Guardian Angel with St Anthony of Padua and St Gaetano of Thiene' by Piazzetta, church of San Vidal
About the project
Painted around 1727-30 by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, (1682-1754), this is one of a group of altarpieces commissioned for the Church of San Vidal and hangs to the right of the main altar balancing Sebastiano Ricci’s Virgin to the left. It shows ‘Guardian Angel with St Anthony of Padua and St Gaetano of Thiene’.
Like many church paintings its surface was damaged by scorch marks from altar candles, its colours darkened and yellowed with varnish and affected by extensive cracquelure The canvas had sagged due to the broken supporting frame and there were losses of surface paint. After cleaning and consolidation the canvas was relined and fitted on new stretchers with adjustable mortise joints to allow for movement. The work was carried out by the conservation firm of Gino Marin in Venice.
This restoration was funded by the Charlotte Bonham Carter Charitable Trust to commemorate her lifelong love of the city (which she visited first in 1922) and her support for the work of Venice in Peril Fund. It was completed in time for the painting to be included in the ‘Glory of Venice’ exhibition at the Royal Academy, London, in 1994.
Project location
In brief
- This altarpiece painting, oil on canvas, 250 x 112cm, was conserved in memory of Charlotte Bonham Carter.
- Piazzetta is less well-known than his contemporaries Tiepolo and Sebastiano Ricci. He was the first director of Venice’s Accademia delle Belle Arti.
- Ten years earlier, the conservation of another altarpiece was done ahead of its inclusion in the Royal Academy Genius of Venice exhibition. This was said to be Veronese’s last work and showed San Pantalon healing a young man, dated to 1587.
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