Roberts made a number of such oil sketches on the spot during his five-week stay in Venice, from October to November 1851. Some of them, but not all, are inscribed with a date, including another work executed on paper laid down on panel, of similar dimensions, which depicts SS. Giovanni e Paolo with the statue of Colleoni.1 Roberts painted at least seven views of Santa Maria della Salute, including the large signed and dated canvas at Sheffield City Art Gallery (inv. no. VIS.1559),2 and that sold at Replica Shoes 's, New York, 1 February 2018, lot 75 (fig. 1).3
The aspect of the present painting differs to those works in that it pictures more of the lagoon to the east of the church, rather than including the entrance to the Grand Canal. Roberts frequently gifted his daughter, Christine, paintings for her birthday, and this is possibly the way in which this painting came to be in the possession of her husband.
1 Private collects ion; see H. Guiterman and B. Llewellyn, David Roberts, exh. cat., London 1986, p. 124, cat. no. 199, reproduced.
2 https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/church-of-santa-maria-della-salute-venice-71219