The Wharf, Looking toward the Doge's Palace

The Wharf Looking toward the Doge's Palace at the Sanssouci Picture Gallery presents the Molo view that became one of the most popular Venetian compositions. Carlevarijs documented this prospect for German collectors at Frederick the Great's palace. Carlevarijs documented Venice in oil on canvas with architectural precision drawn partly from his own engravings, staffing his panoramic views with animated crowds of merchants, tourists, and gondoliers rendered in small, fluid strokes.

The Molo waterfront provides a horizontal compositional base, with the Doge's Palace rising behind. The precise architectural rendering and animated staffage characterize Carlevarijs' mature style.