Rafael Duran Benet Houses In Torcello, Venice, Colorful Italian Post Impressionist Landscape Oil 1985

£450 -10%
Service fee applied at checkout
This item may be subject to import taxes. Please liaise with the seller for more information.
sitges, Spain
Delivery Enter your postcode to see delivery cost
Hassle-free returns
  • Easy returns (14 days)
  • Free return if the item isn't as described
  • Buyer protection

    Damage is rare, and you're fully protected if it happens.

Dimensions
W 41 cm
x
H 33 cm
x
D 1 cm
Wear Condition
Wear conditions

Good

Material

Oil Paint

Style

Modernist, Vintage, Retro

Product Details

Description

Houses in Torcello, Venice, Colorful Italian Post-Impressionist Landscape

Artist: Rafael Durán Benet (1931–2015)
Original title: Casas de Torcello, Venecia
Date: 1985
Medium: Oil on canvas board
Dimensions: 13 × 16.1 in. 33x41 cm.
Signature: Signed lower right
Inscription: Titled and dated on the reverse
Condition: Good vintage condition, with minor age-related wear consistent with a work from 1985
Frame: Unframed
Period: 1980s
Style: Post-Impressionist / Modern Mediterranean

Description

A vibrant 1985 view of Torcello, Venice, by Catalan painter Rafael Durán Benet, depicting the quiet architecture and lush vegetation of one of the most evocative islands of the Venetian Lagoon.

Rather than portraying the monumental Venice of canals and palazzi, Durán Benet turns his attention to the more intimate atmosphere of Torcello. Red and ochre houses emerge between tall cypress trees and dense Mediterranean vegetation, while a broad foreground of luminous greens leads the eye toward the architecture.

The painting is particularly striking for its color. Intense Venetian reds, coral, ochre, olive green and deep emerald are set against a large expanse of atmospheric blue sky. Durán Benet builds the landscape with broad, confident brushstrokes, allowing individual marks and areas of impasto to remain clearly visible.

Architecture and vegetation are deliberately simplified into blocks of color and vertical rhythms. The result places the work within the European Post-Impressionist tradition while also revealing affinities with the expressive color of Fauvism and twentieth-century Mediterranean modernism.

Painted in 1985, the work belongs to the mature period of Durán Benet's career. The original title, Casas de Torcello, Venecia, and the date are inscribed on the reverse.

Its Venetian subject, compact dimensions and unusually rich palette make this an especially attractive example of Durán Benet's landscape painting.

About Rafael Durán Benet

Rafael Durán Benet (Terrassa, 1931 – Barcelona, 2015) was a Catalan painter particularly known for his landscapes, coastal scenes, urban views and still lifes.

He was the nephew of painter, critic and art historian Rafael Benet i Vancells and began painting at an early age. During the 1950s he became closely associated with Cadaqués, whose intense Mediterranean light and artistic environment had an important influence on the development of his painting.

Durán Benet held his first solo exhibition at Barcelona's Sala Vayreda in 1958 and subsequently developed a long exhibition career, including an important association with Barcelona's historic Sala Parés.

His mature work is characterized by vigorous brushwork, simplified forms and a powerful chromatic language. Landscapes are frequently constructed through broad areas of saturated color rather than meticulous description, connecting his work to the traditions of Post-Impressionism, Fauvism and Mediterranean modernism.

In 1980 he received the Henri Forman Prize from the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 2011 his native Terrassa honored him with a retrospective exhibition at the Sala Muncunill.

Artistic context

The painting will appeal particularly to collectors interested in:

European Post-Impressionism
Spanish and Catalan Modern Art
Venice and Venetian Lagoon paintings
Italian landscapes
Mediterranean Modernism
Fauvist-influenced color
20th-century European landscape painting

Its chromatic intensity and simplified construction can be placed in dialogue with the broader Mediterranean landscape tradition associated with artists such as Raoul Dufy, André Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck and Joaquín Sorolla, while retaining Durán Benet's distinctly personal painterly language.

Rafael Duran Benet, Venice Painting, Torcello Painting, Venetian Lagoon, Italian Landscape, Venice Landscape, Venetian Landscape, Post Impressionist Painting, Post Impressionism, Mediterranean Painting, Mediterranean Landscape, European Landscape Painting, Catalan Artist, Spanish Modern Art, Spanish Painting, Modern European Painting, Colorful Landscape, Fauvist Landscape, Fauvism, Italian Architecture Painting, Venice Art, Torcello Venice, 1980s Painting, Oil Painting, Canvas Board Painting, European Modernism, Mediterranean Modernism, Architectural Landscape, Colorist Painting

European art with a Mediterranean soul.

Material
Manufactured
1980s
Style
Modernist, Vintage, Retro
Origin
Spain
Item location
sitges , Spain
Period
Late 20th Century
Condition
Used
Professional Seller
Vinterior since 2025

Shopping at Vinterior

Enjoy secure, sustainable shopping with buyer protection, a 14-day return guarantee, flat-fee returns for UK furniture, outstanding service, and verified authenticity.
Payment via bank transfer available for Trade buyers
Visa Mastercard American Express Apple Pay Google Pay

Add to a wishlist

You can add this item to an existing wishlist or create a new one

Create Wishlist

Give your wishlist a memorable name such as "remarkable sideboards"

Wear conditions

Excellent

Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.

Good

May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.

Average

Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.

Apparent Wear and Tear

Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.

Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.

Cancellations and Returns

Last updated: 12/02/2026

Clear, predictable protection for every pre-loved purchase.

Simple £75 flat return fee for UK-to-UK mainland furniture when you change your mind.

Applies to furniture with a final selling price of up to £5,000 (excluding delivery and service fees) and delivered from a UK mainland seller to mainland UK addresses. Excludes Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Scottish Highlands & Islands, Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly.

Buying vintage should feel inspiring, not uncertain.

Every order on Vinterior is backed by straightforward returns, free cancellations, and extra peace of mind for UK furniture purchases.

1. Free cancellations

Changed your mind before dispatch?

You can cancel any order before it's shipped for a full refund, including delivery.

To cancel an order, click Create cancellation on the order page.

Once an item has been dispatched, delivery costs are not refundable.

Bespoke, personalised or made-to-order pieces cannot be cancelled.

2. Returning an item

You have 14 days from delivery to request a return.

There are two return types:

A. The item isn't as described (free return)

If your piece arrives and it doesn't match the listing in any material way (incorrect description, undisclosed damage, inaccurate measurements, misleading photos), you are fully protected:

  • Free return
  • The seller or Vinterior arranges pickup
  • Full refund, including outbound delivery costs once the seller receives the item

This applies to all purchases.

B. You changed your mind

UK-to-UK furniture deliveries:

To make UK furniture returns predictable and stress-free, we offer a simple flat return fee of £75.

  • Applies to furniture delivered from a UK mainland seller to a mainland UK address. Excludes Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Scottish Highlands & Islands, Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly.
  • Pickup arranged for you
  • One clear fee, no surprises

We coordinate the return with either the seller's chosen courier or our trusted delivery partner.

All other items

Most smaller items are straightforward to return.

You can still return your item within 14 days.

  • For smaller or parcel-sized items, you can choose to post the item back yourself using a tracked service, or the seller can suggest a preferred courier.
  • For larger or more fragile pieces, the seller may recommend the safest return method.
  • Return delivery costs vary depending on size and courier.

The seller will confirm the best option based on the item.

3. If your item arrives damaged

Damage on arrival is uncommon, especially for UK furniture deliveries.

But if something does go wrong, you're fully protected.

  • Let us know as soon as possible (ideally within 72 hours of delivery) so we can resolve things quickly
  • Share photos so we understand what happened
  • We’ll help arrange a return and refund if needed

You’re always protected when something goes wrong in transit.

Your statutory rights apply for up to 30 days from delivery.

4. What can't be returned

Some items cannot be returned:

  • Bespoke, personalised, or made-to-order pieces
  • Items altered after delivery

5. How to start a return

  1. Log in to your Vinterior account
  2. Open your order
  3. Click Create a return
  4. Add notes + photos if relevant

We'll guide you through the rest.

6. What happens next

  1. We review your request, confirm the return and advise on next steps
  2. Pickup or return method is arranged
  3. The item is returned to the seller
  4. We issue your refund once the seller confirms the item's condition

Returns are completed smoothly once the pickup is arranged.

7. Refunds

Once the seller receives the piece back in the same condition it was sent, we'll issue your refund to your original payment method.

Once a refund is issued, it may take up to 5–10 working days for the funds to appear back on your original payment method, depending on your bank or card provider.

If the item is returned with new damage that wasn't present at delivery, the refund may be adjusted following review.

Need help?

If you have questions about a return or your order, our support team is here to help. Email us at [email protected] or find other ways to contact us here.

What your service fee covers

  • 14-day return guarantee
  • Flat-fee return shipping on UK furniture
  • Seller vetting
  • Dedicated customer support
Order Value (£) Fee (£)
0 — 49.99 2.75
50 — 99.99 5.50
100 — 199.99 11.00
200 — 399.99 21.00
400 — 599.99 30.00
600 — 799.99 40.00
800 — 999.99 50.00
1,000 — 1,499.99 55.00
1,500 — 1,999.99 60.00
2,000 — 4,999.99 82.50
5,000+ 110.00

Added at checkout, based on your basket total.

Successfully added to cart

0 items

Total

£0.00


Log in or register to continue

Forgot password?

From discovery to delivery, we make finding the right piece feel effortless

Quality Verified sellers with one-of-a-kind finds, built to last
Sustainability Characterful furniture with no environmental baggage
Delivery Handled with care, right to your door
Customer service Real people, ready to help

Returns at a glance

  • Free return if the item isn't as described.
  • Flat £75 return fee for UK furniture if you change your mind.
    Applies to furniture with a final selling price of up to £5,000 (excluding delivery and service fees) and delivered from a UK mainland seller to a mainland UK address. Excludes Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Scottish Highlands & Islands, Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly.
  • We arrange pickup for you.
  • 14 days to change your mind.
  • 30 days if the item arrives damaged.

Damage is rare, and you're fully protected if it happens.

See full return policy