Martín Rico y Ortega (Spanish, 1833-1908) The Grand Canal, Venice, circa 1890 Oil on canvas 18-1/4 x 28-1/2 inches (46.4 x 72.4 cm) Signed lower right: Rico Property From the Collection of Eugene Iglesias PROVENANCE: Private collection, New York; Rehs Galleries, New York, 2011; Acquired from the above by the present owner. This lot is accompanied by a photocopy of a November 20, 2010 letter of authenticity from Madame Claude Rico-Robert in which she refers to the present work simply as Venise. An avid traveler, the Spanish-born artist Martin Rico y Ortega frequented Venice throughout his life, finally settling there in the late 1870s. At this time, Rico y Ortega was already a well-established artist in Paris: he had first exhibited at the Salon in 1864 and went on to win a prestigious silver medal in 1866. However, his Parisian-era works differ vastly from those for which he is known today. Prior to his move to Venice, Rico y Ortega's work was more in line with that of a Barbizon painter; his moody landscapes influenced by his friend and mentor, Charles Daubigny. Venice presented a new beginning and new inspiration for the artist. The ancient city reinvigorated his imagination and proved to be his muse henceforth. From his first trip there in 1873 until his death in 1908, Rico y Ortega dedicated his time to Venice. Similar to his practice in the French countryside, the artist painted his Venetian scenes en plein air, often from a gondola anchored in a canal or from the window of his room located in the Dorsoduro district. In The Grand Canal, Rico y Ortega portrays gondoliers, delicately balanced, laboring in the hot sun while their passengers admire the view under brightly-colored parasols. The white Istrian stone of Santa Maria della Salute shimmers in the sunlight of a cloudless day as reflections play on the water below: all are instances of Rico's adept craftsmanship as well as evidence of his love affair with "The Floating City." HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved