The extraordinary collection of Venetian drawings in the national Gallery of Art of Washington is presented for the first time in this book: a hundred and forty-four works by the greatest Venetian masters (from Mantegna to Bellini, from Titian to Veronese, from Tiepolo to Canaletto) and by renown American and British artists who drew inspiration from the city in the 19th century (Sargent and Whistler among others).  Full-page reproductions of the drawings--to ensure the maximum of legibility--accompanied by concise and informative descriptions, form the core of this publication. An introductory essay by the curator and an up-to-date bibliography complete its contents.