Ribera Italiana

Spanish-born Rico y Ortega exhibited frequently in Madrid and later established his reputation in Paris and Venice with paintings executed with almost photographic precision. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the location of this rather serene landscape with a boat and figures along the banks of a waterway, the light palette and loosened brushwork suggest that it follows the period when Rico was painting with fellow artist Mariano Fortuny (c. 1871), and the artist’s experiences in Venice.