A broad expanse of the Grand Canal unfolds beneath a luminous blue sky, with the Palazzo Balbi rising prominently at the left edge of the scene. The canal stretches into the distance, lined on both sides by palazzi whose facades catch the crisp daylight, their windows and balconies rendered with precise architectural detail. Gondolas and small boats glide across the water, each carrying figures who row, converse, or recline, their gestures and postures carefully distinguished.

The water reflects the buildings and boats in soft, broken brushstrokes, while gentle ripples suggest the movement of traffic along the canal. On the right, the palazzi rise in rhythmic succession, their arcades and balconies punctuated by bright touches of red from hanging banners or drapery. Figures cluster at the entrances and along the mooring poles, some engaged in conversation, others tending to their boats or goods.

The sky occupies nearly half the canvas, filled with billowing clouds that catch the sunlight in subtle gradations of white and gold. The palette is dominated by cool blues and greens, balanced by the warm ochres and reds of the buildings and clothing, creating a vivid sense of atmosphere and time of day. Fine, linear brushwork describes the architectural ornament, while broader, more fluid strokes capture the shimmering surface of the water and the play of light on stone and plaster.

Every detail, from the shadows under the arcades to the reflections in the canal, is rendered with clarity and control, characteristic of the veduta genre. A man in a red garment stands at the stern of a gondola in the foreground, his figure sharply silhouetted against the water. Near the lower right corner, a gondola with a covered cabin is moored, its dark hull contrasting with the pale reflections on the canal.

Along the left edge, two figures stand on the stone quay, one leaning slightly forward as if in conversation or preparing to board a boat. In the far distance, the canal narrows and the buildings recede into a hazy light, with faint outlines of rooftops and chimneys dissolving into the sky.