187 - 187. Martin Rico Y Ortega (Madrid 1833-1908 Venise)

Estimate €18,000 - €22,000

Description

187. Martin Rico Y Ortega (Madrid 1833-1908 Venise) Gondoles près de la Basilique du Santissimo Redentore, Venise signed 'RICO' (lower left) oil on canvas, laid down on panel 46,8 x 72.4cm (18 7/16 x 28 1/2in). Provenance With Schweitzer Gallery, New York (according to the stamps on the reverse) Sale, Duran, Madrid, 18 October 1994, lot 46 Private collection, Spain This elegant Venetian view by Martín Rico y Ortega depicts gondolas gliding across the Giudecca Canal before the luminous façade and domes of the Basilica del Redentore, designed by Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). Groups of figures animate the foreground, embarking and conversing along the water's edge, while the calm surface of the lagoon reflects the soft light of the Venetian sky. Born in Madrid, Rico trained at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando and later worked in Paris, where he came into contact with the landscape painter Charles-François Daubigny (1817–1878) and the Barbizon circle. After discovering Venice in the 1860s, he returned frequently and eventually settled there, producing the luminous canal views that secured his international reputation. His paintings were widely exhibited and collected across Europe and the United States. Rico repeatedly painted the most celebrated sites of Venice, including views of the Grand Canal with Santa Maria della Salute, lively scenes of the Piazzetta San Marco, and tranquil canals lined with weathered palazzi and animated by gondolas. The present work is characteristic of his mature Venetian production, combining topographical accuracy with a poetic sensitivity to light and atmosphere.

About the sale Old Master and 19th Century Paintings

Auction location

Auction time 11/04/2026 at 1:00 PM

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