View of Venice

Thomas Moran

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a view of a city, seen across a reflective body of water. The buildings in the distance are tall, with columns, arches, and large domed roofs. They are mostly painted in pale shades of pink, cream, pale yellow, and pale green. In front of them, colorful boats and gondolas float on the water, some in brighter shades of blue, red, yellow, and black. The water below reflects all of these colors in a soft blend. Colorful dots on the boats suggest passengers sitting or standing on them. The sky is pale blue and filled with fluffy white clouds. Some white birds fly over the water near the bottom right corner.