Procession in the Courtyard of the Ducal Palace, Venice

Antonio Joli

National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a square seen from above, surrounded by elegant architectural structures. On the left side, there is a large building with a red-brown facade and arched white windows with columns. On the right, there is an ornate off-white structure with arches and detailed stonework. Both of these long buildings stretch from the sides of the painting towards the center, where they converge at a gray building with tall spires and large blue domes behind it. In the square there are countless people in colorful attire, wearing shades of pink, red, blue, green, yellow, black, and blue. There are men, women, and children, and those with visible faces all appear to have light skin. Some wear white masks with bird-like noses. On the right, there is a long line of people engaging in a procession or gathering. People also line the windows of the two buildings on either side of the square. The painting is incredibly detailed, capturing architectural elements and the bustling crowd. The color palette features earthy tones for the architecture and vibrant colors for the people, all set below a pale blue sky with a few white-and-gray clouds.