This is a horizontal watercolor of the Grand Canal of Venice, Italy with a wide cream colored border. This piece uses ethereal washes of soft pastels to evoke stillness.  On our right and in the foreground is a white sun- drenched building with jutting awnings and stairs descending into the canal.  A few people sit at a table, while two are standing.   Slightly to the left are two very tall pylons in the water.  The middle ground shows a row of empty gondolas resting in the canal.  They are mirrored in the calm surface of the water.  This is rendered in light blue with dashes of white and gold, and appears cool in contrast to the sunny day.  On the opposite bank, to our left are a group of small sailboats with open sails.  There are buildings; the most striking is a large church with two massive different- sized blue domes.  The larger dome is closest to the foreground.  Billowing, soft pastel clouds envelope the bright sky.