View of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, on the Grand Canal, Venice, with the Dogana beyond 1851

David Roberts created this watercolor view of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice. The composition is anchored by the monumental church, its dome dominating the skyline. Roberts’s manipulation of light and shadow gives depth and volume to the architecture. The muted palette evokes a tranquil, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The architectural forms are softened, and the details are not as important as the atmospheric effects. Roberts’s approach destabilizes established meanings by presenting a subjective, romanticized vision of Venice. Instead of a straightforward depiction, we find a delicate interplay of light and form, transforming stone into something ethereal. Consider the way the dome seems to dissolve into the sky. This subversion of solid form speaks to a broader philosophical interest in the transient nature of perception. Roberts invites us to contemplate the city not as a fixed entity, but as a fluid and ever-changing experience.