In this painting, bright sunlight illuminates the foreground against a moody sky in a dramatic and unmistakably Venetian setting, which captivated the artist when he visited Italy in 2011.
Proudly standing in the foreground a jock-strap clad man gently cradles a regal looking dog in front of a small cruising boat between mooring poles. Flanked either side of the painting are more elaborate yellow and white candy-striped poles instantly locating the subjects to Venice.
The fox terrier looks out, fixated on something in the distance. Perhaps he has seen one of Venice's ubiquitous pigeons or a curious local looking down from a balcony. Further intrigue is added to the composition by leaving the viewer to decide what might be covered by the curtain-like canvas inside the boat.
The purity and brightness of the dog's white fur and the jock strap dramatically off sets the models skin tone, and is complimented by the equally dominant cadmium yellow in this very fine painting, which overall exhibits a relatively restrained colour palette.
This most recent painting features the artist’s second depiction of Jason Phoenix, who is a close friend of the artist, holding the younger of Watson’s fox terriers, Zorro.
"I have been a proud collector of Ross' paintings for many years. His art is astounding in its beauty, emotion, and reverence for our humanity and the world we live in. His attention to the smallest details, and use of light, dark and colour, rivals art's greatest masters." James J. O'Donnell, Patron, art collector, NYC
"We are loving our new acquisition and we know that 'Nathan, view to Florence' will bring us endless years of joy. Thanks for sharing your talent. We love your work so keep it up!" Paul Zahra and Duncan Peerman, Sydney
"As avid art collectors we are very proud to have Ross' stunningly handsome work in our collection. His art brings us great joy and we love to share his work with our friends and visitors. We were absolutely thrilled to recently add 'Two Soldiers' to our collection." Christopher Cosier & Chris Webber, Sydney
"I purchased the original painting 10 years ago at your gallery during Mardi Gras and it has given me enormous pleasure ever since. I remember standing in the gallery for a couple of hours wondering if I should buy it. I have never regretted that decision." Jon Anderson and Lance Johnson, Palm Springs
"Your art hanging around our home provides us with such pleasure, and we can’t wait for A-Bay to join the Ross Watson family." Haydon Elliot and Greg Moses, Melbourne
