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The image is in portrait orientation and framed within a thin black border. The image is printed in black and orange on light brown boards. In the center of the image, two figures from the Commedia del’arte, Harlequin and Columbine, stand on the hull of a ship in front of an orange sail. Only the front half of the ship is visible. A carved wooden statue in the form of a mermaid is affixed to the bow of the ship at left. This figurehead is positioned in left side profile; her arms are raised above her head and she may be combing her hair. Above the figurehead to the right, stand the two figures from the traditional Harlequinade. Harlequin occupies the centre of the image; he iis standing on the deck of the ship to the left of the woman beside him. The masked Harlequin wears a black diamond-patterned suit, the traditional harlequin costume. His right arm is extended above his head, directing a long sword behind the woman to his right, Columbine. The woman is wearing a full-skirted, knee-high black dress with a low-cut neckline. She is leaning away from Harlequin towards the right and her right arm is interlocked with his. Above these figures, in the ship’s crow’s nest, is a small child or cherub.. The child holds the mast with one hand and appears to be throwing orange leaves or flowers down on the couple. The small orange leaves descend from the top right corner of the picture down to the left of the figures on the prow. The background is formed by a clear sky and a sea of decorative black waves. “The Venture” is transcribed in small capital letters enclosed in the bottom border of the image. The artist’s monogram “WB” appears on the ship’s side in the bottom right of the image.