From the Exhibition Whistler and Venice January 29 - May 28, 2003 Whistler was deeply influenced by compositions and motifs of Japanese prints, which often feature a high horizon line and a bridge. Here he combined Japanese structure and elements with his characteristic sketchy technique. The delicately drawn figures and faintly hatched lines invoke the activity of the neighborhood scene and conjure up a breeze rippling the water and fluttering the sheets drying on the bridge.