This painting, showing the Rialto Bridge seen from the north, is a copy, with extremely slight variations, of a work by Canaletto (1697-1768) in a British private collection, of which there is a print by Baitard published on 22^nd April 1736. The Prospectus Magni Canalis Venetiarum by Visentini, from 1735, also includes a print of the same architectural setting, but with different boats and characters. The inscription in Visentini’s print reads: “Pons Rivoalti ad Occidentem, cum Aedibus Publicis utrique hatesi adjectis.”

The Renaissance building on the right of the bridge is the Camarlengo Palace, site of the Republic Treasury. In turn, the porticoed building on the left is the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, owned by the Senate but on loan to German traders.

There is little doubt that Fabris used the print by Baitard. Nonetheless, the motif of the bridge seen from this angle was often repeated by Canaletto in his compositions.