The photograph is composed from a low viewpoint at the water's edge, causing the dark wooden poles and the nearest gondola to loom large in the foreground. From the left, the line of moored boats creates a diagonal path that leads the eye across the water toward the distant horizon. While the artist notes the many islands and bridges of the city, this view focuses on the open water of the canal where the boats are tied. The buildings of San Giorgio Maggiore, including its distinct domes and towers, appear small and pale against the wide sky.

The colors are divided into distinct layers. The bottom of the image is dominated by the dark, curved shapes of the boats and their bright blue and dark blue fabric covers. Above the water, the tones shift to the soft greys of the stone architecture and the wooden pier. The sky occupies the upper half of the frame, filled with clouds in shades of pale yellow, pink, and purple that contrast with the dark, solid forms of the wooden poles in the foreground.