Italian school; end of the XVII century- beginning of the XVIII century.

Italian school; late seventeenth century - early eighteenth century.
"Still life".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 76 x 56 cm.
The work we observe, a "Still Life" belonging to the Italian School of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, is a representative example of the Baroque pictorial splendor in the tradition of natura morta, especially in the context of southern Italy, particularly Naples. This region became an important center of still life production thanks to the influence of Flemish and Spanish painting, adapted to the local decorative and symbolic taste.
The painting shows an exuberant floral composition accompanied by bunches of grapes, contrasting light and shadow with a remarkable chiaroscuro, typical of the Baroque. The arrangement of the elements reveals a pyramidal structure, where the brightest flowers occupy the visual center and the fruits, darker and in penumbra, are located at the bottom, creating a harmonious balance between life and decadence.
This work is clearly in dialogue with the works of Baldassare de Caro (1689-1750), a Neapolitan painter who specialized in still lifes and hunting scenes. De Caro is known for his dramatic treatment of light, his attention to naturalistic detail, and his predilection for the lush and theatrical. In this work, the influence of his style can be seen in the meticulous treatment of the petals, the light contrast, and the almost scenographic sense of composition.
Similarities can also be found with the work of Nicola Casissa, another exponent of the Neapolitan still life, active in the first half of the 18th century. Casissa was noted for depicting complex floral arrangements, often accompanied by fruit, using intense colors and dynamic compositions. The use of the dark background and the rich application of color in the painting we are analyzing evoke the spirit of Casissa, who sought to capture both the beauty and the transience of natural objects.