A drawing of an invented view, known as a capriccio. The drawing shows a fragment of a classical building on the edge of a quay. In the distance is the coastline. Several figures are shown at work on the quayside, and ships can be seen in the water. The scene is enclosed within a ruled ink border line.

To the right is a classical ruin, with architectural fragments in the foreground; beyond, fishermen on a short quay, ending in a fanciful pedestal with a coat of arms (unusually, not bearing Canaletto’s chevron). In the distance is an imaginary city with mountains rising behind, similar to the Dolomites as seen to the north of Venice on a clear day.

Catalogue entry adapted from Canaletto in Venice, London, 2005