Santa Maria della Salute, Venice

Roberts visited Italy twice, in 1851 and 1853-4, but, although some Venetian drawings are dated 1853 and 1854, he only seems to have stayed there in 1851, when he was there for five weeks from September. His hotel was opposite the Punta della Dogana at the mouth of the Grand Canal, close to where the present view is taken from. He made drawings of Santa Maria della Salute from other viewpoints while in a gondola.‌
A number of critics compared Roberts's depictions of Venice with those of Turner. The Chromolithograph for 12 September 1868, after speaking of Turner's 'rapturous and visionary' approval, went on, 'We left Venice under the persuasion that nature could not rival the extravagance of Turner. Then plain, honest, and somewhat prosaic David Roberts made himself at home on the Grand Canal, and we have to thank his pencil for many noble pictures of Santa Maria della Salute and other equally well-known subjects'.
‌We are grateful to Krystyna Matyjaszkiewicz for her help in preparing this catalogue entry.