The Ospiti a Palazzo project returns to the Doge ’s Palace in Venice, once again opening the rooms of the Quadreria - in the Sala del Magistrato alle Leggi - to a new “guest.” In fact, until April 14, 2026, Francesco Guardi’s Portrait of Lazzaro Zen is on display, a work from I.P.A.V. - Istituzioni Pubbliche di Assistenza Veneziane that constitutes a rare example of portrait painting in the production of the famous Venetian artist.
The painting tells a singular and deeply significant story in the history of the Serenissima: that of Ali, a young man originally from West Africa who, having escaped from slavery, found a new life and identity in Venice. In 1770, after being taken in by the Zen family, he received baptism in the church of San Zaccaria, taking the name Lazzaro Zen. The episode is also recalled by the inscription painted by Guardi in the upper left corner of the canvas, while the elegant headdress of the protagonist bears the coat of arms of the Zen family of Riva di Biasio. The blue velvet tailcoat, embellished with a white fur coat with tassels and gilded chevrons, testifies to the refinement of 18th-century Venetian portraiture.
In Portrait of Lazzaro Zen, the typical lively and vibrant brushwork of the vedutista Guardi gives way to a more controlled and institutional stroke, capable of combining precision and introspection. In the absorbed gaze of the young man, rendered with fine psychological sensitivity, we capture the tension of one who, having left behind the sufferings of the past, opens with hope to a new destiny.
The exhibition not only makes it possible to admire a masterpiece usually not visible to the public, but also aims to invite the public to reflect on the symbolic value of its story. Indeed, the figure of Lazzaro Zen bears witness to an open, multi-ethnic and polyglot Venice, a crossroads of cultures and identities. In this sense, Ospiti a Palazzo is proposed as a project of living dialogue between institutions and their heritages, an opportunity to interweave different stories and perspectives within one of the most representative places of the Serenissima. Each “guest” thus becomes the bearer of a story to be rediscovered, in constant relation with the timeless story of the Doge’s Palace.
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| Venice, Doge's Palace hosts a rare example of Francesco Guardi's portraiture: the story of Lazzaro Zen |
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