Gondola Builders

Family history is that the painting was done at Millet’s Venice studio, which was near a boat yard.

The painting is described as “Two men with a two-handed saw are sawing through a large pile or log laid across tall saw horses, one man on the ground, the other atop fo the log. Beyond them the (carn?) bay is turquoise green.”

In addition to the painting, there is a sketch from Millet’s sketch book now in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, which seems to be the preparatory sketch for  the painting. 

Listed by Peter Engstrom in his catalog of Millet work as 1874.6 “Gondola Builders,” Graphite on paper.  Millet sketchbook, Millet Papers, AAA, Smithsonian, Washington, DC