Venice: The Dogana Customs Office and San Giorgio Maggiore, 1834
Oil on canvas
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Widener Collection

Those days are gone - but Beauty still is here.
States fall, arts fade - but Nature doth not die,
Nor yet forget how Venice once was dear,
The pleasant place of all festivity,
The revel of the earth, the masque of Italy!
Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, 1812-1818

A bright blue sky and the reflection of light dancing on the water create a lively atmosphere in Joseph Mallord William Turner’s painting of the bustling city of Venice. Turner made three trips to Venice throughout his life; the first two trips were brief stops during his Grand Tour experiences and the third was an extended stay later in his life. Turner made approximately 550 sketches of Venice, capturing the sense of light and color in watercolor and then sketching architecture over the color. Turner’s admiration for Venetian master painters, such as Canaletto, influenced his vivid color choices. Venice was an especially important place for Turner. He felt that it was similar to London because both of the cities’ power came from trade and the sea.