In the 1880’s Smith made a trip to Italy, which added a whole new dimension to his work. His tight style was highly suited to the depiction of the majestic architecture and complex compositions the cities presented. These views are superbly executed and even more interesting than many of his American landscapes which are a bit reserved in comparison. Venetian Scene is a lovely and ambitious composition. This piece is comparable to the coveted views of the canals by Reyna and Ortega.
What is important to note, is that few American artists made a trip like this - tackling this subject matter in the 1880’s. While views of Venice were popular amongst European artists, Smith’s canvases from this series stand as the few from visiting American artists. The other artist who did similar work was Warren Sheppard – which distinguishes these two Americans as masters of the landscape