Twachtman studied art in his native Cincinnati with the Munich-trained American painter Frank Duveneck. This early landscape, probably painted during a trip to Italy, has a somber palette and painterly execution reflective of the Munich School. It depicts Venice from the Giudecca (an island in the Venetian Lagoon). The Church of Santa Maria della Salute and the Tower of San Marco are at right, while at left are the Church of Gesuati and the tower of the Church of San Basilio. Its sketch-like execution departs from topographic views of Venice by such 18^th-century artists as Canaletto. Twachtman returned to Europe for further study in 1883. In Paris, he met Robinson, Hassam, and Metcalf. Along with the last two, he was one of “The Ten,” a group who left the Society of American Artists and later termed American Impressionists.