His television roles often leveraged his trustworthy, authoritative demeanor. He frequently played professionals—doctors, lawyers, and police commissioners. These roles endeared him to a broader demographic, particularly families who gathered around the TV in the evenings. For many Italians, Ennio Guardi became a presence in their living rooms, a reliable figure who brought gravitas to the stories they followed weekly.
For Guardi, the threshold is where the self negotiates its boundaries. He applied this to digital space (foreseeing user interfaces in 1985) and to social interactions. He famously wrote:
Today, a full translation of Anatomia del Luogo into English is underway at MIT Press. Furthermore, the "Ennio Guardi Prize" is awarded biannually to the architect who best demonstrates humanistic spatial sensitivity.
Guardi's influence on the art world was significant, both during his lifetime and in the centuries that followed. His innovative approach to view painting paved the way for future generations of artists, including the likes of J.M.W. Turner and Claude Monet.
Only after his death did a small group of critics (led by the eccentric art historian Dr. Ugo Aliprandi) rediscover his work in a flooded basement near the Rio de la Misericordia.
He died of pneumonia after falling into a canal while sketching at night.