Thomas Moran was an American painter of English birth. His brothers Edward (1829-1901), John (1831-1902) and Peter (1841-1914) were also active as artists. Between the ages of 16 and 19 Moran was apprenticed to the Philadelphia wood-engraving firm of Scattergood and Telfer; he then began to paint more seriously in watercolor and expanded his work as an illustrator.

In the 1860s he produced lithographs of the landscapes around the Great Lakes. During the 1870s and 1880s his designs for wood-engraved illustrations appeared in most of the major magazines and in gift books, which brought him money and recognition.

Recalling his views of Venice in atmosphere and space, this etching was the result of a visit to Vera Cruz, Mexico on a trip in 1885-1886.