A Canal in Venice, c.1875 Martin Rico y Ortega (1833-1908)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Martin Rico y Ortega also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery.

TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations.

We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons:
Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
Also, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.
Additionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself.

You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.

Once the painting A Canal in Venice is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

We offer free shipping as well as paid express transportation services.

After adding your artwork to the shopping cart, you will be able to check the delivery price using the Estimate Shipping and Tax tool.

The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.

In "A Canal in Venice," c.1875, Martin Rico y Ortega captures a radiant moment of everyday life along Venice's serene waterways, revealing both the city’s architectural grandeur and its quieter human interactions. His composition flows effortlessly from the shimmering water, reflecting the sun’s dance, up to the rich, warm façades of the buildings. The play of light is hypnotic, painting a world that feels both timeless and immediate.

The canal itself, a tranquil stage, mirrors the afternoon’s sunlight in subtle ripples. Look closely, and you’ll notice how Rico uses reflections in the water to blur the distinction between the built world and its watery counterpart, a visual trick that amplifies Venice’s ethereal beauty. The color palette is soft yet vibrant - the cerulean sky dominates, echoed in the azure shades that coat the canal’s surface, while earthy reds and ochres anchor the scene with a sun-soaked warmth.

At the heart of the painting, the stately Palazzo Soranzo-Van Axel looms, its arched windows and ornate balconies perfectly preserved in Rico’s brushstrokes. The details are precise but never fussy - there’s a lightness in his handling of architectural form. Nearby, boys casually play along the water’s edge, their innocence bringing a touch of liveliness, mirrored cheekily by the sculptures of putti poised on a nearby garden wall. These figures connect past and present, stone and flesh, movement and stillness - a playful echo in the otherwise stately composition.

Rico’s technique, with its fine, precise lines and soft brushwork, reveals a fascination with both light and texture. His mastery of capturing fleeting moments - the gentle caress of sunlight, the shimmering reflections - imbues this piece with a quiet vibrancy, as if the whole city hums with the soft rhythm of life.