MARTÍN RICO Y ORTEGA | Venetian Canal, San Vidal in the Distance

Montgomery Gallery, San Francisco 
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, May 7, 1998, lot 185, illustrated 
Acquired at the above sale 

Javier Barón, ed., Impressions of Europe: Nineteenth-Century Vistas by Martín Rico, exh. cat., Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid; Meadows Museum, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, October 30, 2012-July 7, 2013, p. 242, illustrated

Lined. The surface presents well, though the varnish has yellowed and could benefit from a clean. There is faint finely patterned but stable craquelure visible in the sky. Under UV: no apparent issues.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Martín Rico y Ortega, while Spanish by birth, was drawn to Venice as generations of tourists have been since the advent of the Grand Tour. Between 1873 and his death in 1908, Rico painted in Venice nearly every summer. He was constantly searching for the best vantage points for his compositions, and he often painted from bridges and gondolas.  The present lot, which has been dated to circa 1905, is one of Rico's late works. Standing resolute in the background with its fluted Corinthian columns and campanile with pyramidal spire is the Church of San Vidal, located off the Grand Canal in the sestiere of San Marco near the Ponte dell'Accademia, where Rico frequently painted during his late period. The Church of San Vidal can be found in a number of compositions by the artist in the last three years of his life.



We would like to thank Madame Claude Rico Robert for kindly confirming the authenticity of this lot.