Piazza San Marco, Venice

At the left is part of St Mark's Basilica, in the center stands the tall bell tower, and at the right runs a long building enclosing the square. Small figures dot the square, and clouds drift across a blue sky. It is a horizontal oil painting measuring 61.0 x 96.5 cm.

The museum's commentary says that sharp perspective makes possible a composition wider than the human eye could take in. The buildings, such as the basilica, are painted with careful strokes down to the details, and the clear use of light and shade produces a photographic realism.

The harmony of the blue of the Venetian sky, full of water and air, and the orange of the ground in bright sunlight is said to be the keynote of Canaletto's paintings. In 18th-century Venice, "vedute" (city views) that depicted urban scenes and festivals accurately were popular and were sold to tourists as souvenirs. Canaletto is said to have produced many vedute in the second half of his life, with greater accuracy and brighter tones.