A drawing of the Libreria and the Molo in Venice. The Molo is the broad stone quay in front of the Palazzo Ducale and Libreria. The Libreria dominates the composition, but the two columns of San Teodoro and San Marco are depicted in front of the building. Receding beyond the Libreria, on the left are the Zecca, the Granai, and the Fontegheto della Farina. Many groups of figures are depicted.

Though the column of the lion seems too far to the left, this view can be obtained quite precisely by standing at the edge of the Molo before the centre of the Palazzo Ducale, whose corner lies just beyond the right side of the composition. Canaletto recorded the architectural details of the Libreria accurately, though he showed little interest in the sculptures standing on the balustrade, almost all of whom have here the same pose. He shifted the apex and lantern of the Libreria roof to the right - an odd decision, since it now confuses the outline of the lion on the column. Canaletto also opened out the perspective of the façades further along the Molo, thus exaggerating the width (impressive enough in reality) of the Granai.

The composition was roughed out in the Sketchbook, and was repeated, even to the figures, in a second drawing in the Royal Collection (RL 7440) - perhaps a little later in date - that uses grey wash instead of pen hatching.

Catalogue entry adapted from Canaletto in Venice, London, 2005