This is an etching done by Karl Albert Buehr, a German-American artist born in Germany, but whose family emigrated to the United States when he was five. The drawings for this image were done when Buehr travelled in Europe between 1905-08, and depict a religious event, perhaps in observance of a saint's feast day. There are three separate stories taking place here: the procession of the communicants on the bridge; the boatmen in the FG; and two ladies being helped into a gondola beyond.

Buehr's celebrants seem youthful - perhaps they were young aspirants not yet admitted to their order. The scribe at his desk suggests the public will be involved - but how, we don't know; and the scene on the bridge remains shrouded in mystery. This bridge is like many in Venice, connecting the narrow labyrinth of passages, piazzas, and covered walkways that trace their way around the canals, rivers, and lagoons of the city.

The image's small cast of characters teases the viewer with endless dramatic possibilities. Its setting, the fabulous floating city of Venice, was popular in the Gilded Age, adding one more exotic dimension to Buehr's dark, romantic mood, so rich in design and portent.