The Scuola di San Marco, Venice

Jules-Romain Joyant

National Gallery of Art

The painting depicts a view of a canal from a low vantage point. There are tall white buildings with red roofs on either side of the canal, and a white bridge in the distance stretches between the two sides. Behind the bridge, on the right side of the canal, is a large, ornate building with domes and arches, as well as several large statues or decorations along the tiered roof. Floating on the water are several long boats, and small dots of color by the bridge suggest people gathered outside. The water of the canal reflects the colors of the street and sky, with patches of red, brown, and tan across the blue surface. The sky above the buildings contains swirls of blue and pale gray. The brushstrokes in the painting are loose and expressive, especially in the sky and water.