In the early 1740s Canaletto and his nephew Bernardo Bellotto (1720–1780) made a sketching trip along the Brenta canal towards Padua, and this drawing is based on material he gathered on the journey. It is probably made up of both real and imagined elements: the skyline is identifiable as Padua, but the farmhouse and winding road add to the picturesque qualities of the scene.