Rio Maria, Venice

In 1872, accompanied by Mariano Fortuny, Rico toured Italy. He was enchanted by the splendour of Venice, whose sites, waters and light he captured in innumerable paintings. From 1879, by which time he had made Paris his permanent home, he spent his summers in Venice, renting a palazzo in which to paint. He would often work sitting in a gondola, sketching buildings and bridges as seen from the water.