In 1910 Cadell went to Venice, assisted by money given to him by Patrick Ford, a fellow pupil from his schooldays and more recently a major patron of his art. Up to his trip to Venice Cadell’s work had been basically impressionistic in content and execution, but the strong light, reflections off the rippling canals and vivid colours of the Adriatic port keyed up these tendencies to a new pitch. It was in Venice that Cadell became a colourist. The canal depicted in this painting is that of La Guidecca, a particularly wide waterway separating the island of La Guidecca from the Zattere, which can be seen on the right. The white marble classical façade that dominates the canal-side walkway is that of Santa Maria del Rosario, also known as the Gesuati. This painting was probably made early on in Cadell’s visit. The colours are still fairly muted compared to those he used later on.