Boyce visited Venice in the summer of 1854. His trip was inspired by Ruskin, who encouraged him to make careful studies of the architecture and advised him against dark crepuscular effects on the grounds that they were easy and vulgar. Boyce did indeed make some architectural studies in the Ruskinian manner, but, as Allen Staley observes, 'a number of (his) Venetian views are remarkably broad and atmospheric. On coarse paper, like that often used by Cox, and in a murky, almost monochromatic palette, they show that Boyce still retained his liking for twilight despite Ruskin's advice' (The Pre-Raphaelite Landscape 1973, p.108). On his return to London, Boyce continued to paint twilight views of the Thames, and it has been suggested that his work in this idiom helped to inspire the nocturnes of Whistler (George Price Boyce exh. Tate Gallery, 1987, cat. pp.26-7).

A number of Boyce's Venetian views were included in the Boyce exhibition at the Tate, including two in the same 'atmospheric' style as the present example (nos.16-17)