Rainy day at San Marco

Rows of empty round café tables and chairs stand sheltered under an arcade in the foreground, a waiter lingering beside them, while the wet pavement of Piazza San Marco reflects a pale grey sky. Small figures carrying dark and red umbrellas cross the square before the domed, gilded facade of St. Mark's Basilica, its three tall flagpoles rising in front, with the Doge's Palace visible at the right edge.

Damp greys and warm ochre notes on the basilica's mosaics set a subdued, atmospheric tone, brightened only by scattered patches of color from the umbrellas. Loose, quick brushstrokes capture the sheen of rain on stone, lending the crowded square a hushed, melancholic quiet.