Le «copie-opere d’arte» di Antonio Guardi La commissione Gradenigo

This article examines the copy of Paris Bordon’s Consegna dell’anello al doge painted by Antonio Guardi for the nobleman Pietro Gradenigo (1695-1776). The painting will be compared with other copies made by Guardi for Giovanni Paolo and Giovanni Benedetto Giovanelli, for Marshall Schulenburg and the Savorgnan family, in order to emphasise Guardi’s ability to translate masterpieces of other artists into his own language. It will also be highlighted how perfectly the Consegna dell’anello al doge fits into the collection of Gradenigo, who gathered in his palace paintings, sculptures and antiquities that documented the history of Venice and his family. This article looks into the possible contacts of Pietro Gradenigo with Antonio Guardi, starting from a newfound study of documents and the relationships of the nobleman with other scholars and Guardi’s patrons.