From 1898 to 1905 Sickert lived in Dieppe on the Normandy coast. He probably painted this work during his time there, using sketches made during trips to Venice. Instead of showing the entire façade of St Mark’s Basilica, Sickert narrows his focus to a single section, the entrance on the far left. He was encouraged to adopt such unusual viewpoints by Edgar Degas who he first met in 1883. After returning to London, Sickert took an active role mentoring the next generation of aspiring artists.