A spectacular large-scale and detailed panorama of Venice from the south, showing the city centred on the Campanile and Piazza San Marco with islands and all manner of watercraft, from gondola to galleon, in the fore-ground. The title appears within an elegant ribbon banner centre top, with the arms of Venice to the left. An extensive key, highlighting 86 landmarks, appears below the image in Italian and Latin, and upper left and right-hand corners in German.

Engraved by Johann Friedrich Probst (died 1781) after the original drawing by Friedrich Werner (1690-1776) and published by the heirs of Jeremias Wolff in Augsburg. From 1729 – 1750, Werner, who travelled extensively in Europe, created a series of nearly 100 panoramic views of the most influential cities, in collaboration with Johann Friedrich Probst but also his brother Georg Balthasar Probst (1732-1801), for the heirs of the publisher Jeremias Wolff. While albums of the views do exist, they were published and available separately.

Werner’s view of Venice, while not as comprehensive as the monumental map created by Ughi a decade or so earlier, nonetheless clearly demonstrates the architectural magnificence of the city at a time when its prowess as a military republic was waning, and its role as the dominant centre of culture and art was becoming apparent.