View of Grand Canal with the Palazzi Foscari and Moro Lin

Bellotto's View of the Grand Canal with the Palazzi Foscari and Moro Lin, painted in 1734 during his Venetian period under Canaletto's influence, documents the Grand Canal at a bend where two of Venice's most magnificent Gothic palaces face each other. The Palazzo Foscari — a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic — and the Palazzo Moro Lin together created a grand architectural ensemble that made this stretch of canal particularly desirable as a veduta subject. This early work shows Bellotto already developing his individual style.

The composition captures the canal's bend with careful recession, the two palace facades rendered with the architectural precision that would become Bellotto's hallmark. The water's surface shows the influence of Canaletto's technique in its handling of ripple and reflection. Bellotto's already slightly cooler palette is distinguishable from his uncle's warmer tonality.