Description

A view in horizontal format, showing a church with a tall tower at right, surrounded by smaller buildings and trees. The sky is turquoise blue; pale blue streaks at left and right are glimpses of the lagoon. There are two shades of green, light and dark. The buildings range from beige to orange and brown. The bells on the tower are suggested by touches of dark blue. What may be some washing is in similar colours, two shades of blue, white, cream and beige.

Site

The church of Santa Maria Elisabetta on the Lido, Venice, Italy. 1

The Lido is an island to the southeast of Venice. When Whistler was there it was becoming a fashionable resort and is still a popular tourist destination. The church of Sta Margherita looks straight over the lagoon to the city. Whistler etched the view of the distant city from there, in The Little Venice [238]. The church backs onto a small square, where Whistler must have sat to draw. The view is now obscured with shops, booths and toilets.