The Upper Section of a Church with a Hexagonal Dome and Two Towers

This architectural study of a church with hexagonal dome and two towers by Carlevarijs, drawn around 1700-1710, reflects his practice of systematic architectural documentation that preceded and informed his painted vedute. As the artist who established Venetian topographical painting as a genre, Carlevarijs kept extensive notebooks of architectural details — domes, towers, facades, and structural features — that he could incorporate into his views with accuracy. The church's hexagonal dome, an unusual form, suggests this study recorded a specific Venetian building for later use. Such preparatory material reveals the methodical observation behind veduta painting's apparent spontaneity.

The architectural study shows precise rendering of the dome's geometry and the towers' proportions. The study focuses on structural form and proportional relationships rather than atmospheric effects, serving as an architectural reference.