Mestre, from Vedute

As more Englishmen took the grand tour of Europe in the 18th century, Venice saw a huge influx in tourists. In order to meet the demand for the works of the popular Venetian artist Canaletto, the British consul to Venice, Joseph Smith, commissioned Vedute (Views), an album of etchings depicting Venetian landscapes. This print shows the landing place for boats plying between Mestre and Venice. Huddled by the river, this busy commercial center is shown populated with horse-drawn carriages and couples walking along the banks of the waterway.