Canaletto here turned to look east from the Punta di Sant’Antonio towards the monasteries of Sant’Elena and, to the left and further away, La Certosa. The broad, muddy channel was mostly filled in during the nineteenth century, and the drawing gives an idea of the original appearance of the Venetian archipelago. Canaletto’s subtle use of wash here captures a quiet sense of transience quite different from the hard and timeless views that dominate his graphic output.