This book is both an absorbing social history and a comprehensive reference guide to 19th-century British and American artists who took Venice as their inspiration. The first part of the book examines the lifestyle and working methods of the artists from 1819 to the present day. Julian Halsby examines the relationships between the various artists such as Whistler, Sickert, Ruskin and the Duveneck and appraises their artistic interpretations of the city. The second part is a dictionary of artists not in the main text, but in whose work Venice is a recurring theme. Biographical details of over 350 artists are given here.