Copyists were painters who created replicas of works by highly popular artists. During the 18^th century the habit among the English aristocracy of travelling to Italy in search of the roots of classical culture came to be known as the Grand Tour. The interest in the views of Venice created by Canaletto (1697-1768) among English tourists, including the consul Joseph Smith, sowed the seed for a flourishing market. According to the label on the back, this piece comes from the British market.

The painting depicts the facade of the Doge’s Palace overlooking the quayside of the Grand Canal known as the Molo. Next to it, on the right, the Prisons; in the background, the columns of Piazza San Marco and the buildings of the Library and the Zecca, and the domes of Santa Maria della Salute on the left. The top of the Campanile can be seen sticking up from behind the Doge’s Palace.

The work by Canaletto that could have inspired this painting by Fabris is unknown as yet. The closest one, dated in 1743, is kept at Windsor Castle and belongs to the collection of the Queen of England. However, the perspective seems to be taken from an earlier work, from around 1731-1732, of which several versions are known and in which the wide landscape was the backdrop for the route taken by the bucentaur, the Doge’s ceremonial boat, to the Molo on Ascension Day.