Maurice Prendergast's pencil sketch of a gondola from his Italian Sketchbook captures the essential form of Venice's iconic watercraft with economical linework and subtle tonal variation. The drawing demonstrates the artist's keen observational ability and his interest in recording the visual character of Italian scenes during his travels. This sketchbook page exemplifies Prendergast's practice of using pencil studies to distill compositional and formal elements that would later inform his more finished paintings.