Although celebrated for his ability to capture the quintessential character of the Canadian landscape through rugged gesture and a strong eye for composition, the talent for which A.Y. Jackson is often less celebrated is his skill as a colourist. This capacity is perhaps best exhibited in his works produced in Venice. Having traveled there at least three times between 1908 and 1912 during his European sojourns before World War 1, his on-site oil sketches of the famous city and its canals showcase a notably Impressionist palette and romantic tone. Though undated, this work may have been produced on his 1911 visit, as it shares a focus on shades of violet and mauve with A Doorway in Venice, 1911, sold by Heffel in April of 2021. These rare and distinctive paintings help to illuminate Jackson’s developments as an artist as he absorbed and synthesized the aesthetic influences of his time.