A violent storm bears down upon Venice, viewed from across the Lagoon, while a steamship ploughs through the choppy waves. Turner was captivated by the city’s isolated island setting, shown here illuminated against expanses of dark water. Despite his long-standing interest in steam technology, this is the only Venetian work in which Turner includes a steamer, which may be the boat to Trieste. He dabbed paint on with his fingers to create the trail of black smoke and his fingerprints are just visible on the surface of the watercolour.