The Zattere, Venice

Sir Muirhead Bone was a Scottish printmaker and watercolor artist noted for his depictions of architectural and industrial subjects, city views, landscapes, and his work as a war artist in both the First and Second World Wars. In this view of Venice, Bone depicted the Palazzo Dogana da Mar (Customs House) located at the end of the Zattere, a spacious waterfront promenade bordering the Giudecca Canal. The artist took care to feature the building's stunning weathervane: a sculpture of the goddess Fortuna perched upon a golden sphere, supported by two slaves. Boats and barges define the left side of the image. Across the canal, in the center background are the domes and the Campanile of San Marco. While Bone carefully drew this scene onto the plate as it appeared, this resulting print of the quay is a mirror image of what Bone saw and drew.