Gasparo Lopez Circle, 18th century

Circle of GASPARO LOPEZ, "DEI FIORI" (Naples, ca. 1677 - Florence, 1732).
"Still life of flowers and fruits".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
Measurements: 96 x 129 cm; 109 x 143 cm (frame).

We are in front of a refined painting of the circle of Gasparo Lopez, known as "dei Fiori", executed in the XVIII century, that celebrates with sensual intensity and technical expertise the genre of the floral and fruit still life. The composition, a direct heir of late-baroque Neapolitan virtuosity and enriched by echoes of Florentine decorative naturalism, presents an accumulation of natural elements treated with sumptuous precision and an almost tactile sensibility for textures and brightness.

In the foreground, dominating the pictorial surface, multicolored flowers germinate, oscillating between the diaphanous whites and fiery carmines. The brushstroke, meticulous and enameled, elegantly captures the velvety fragility of the petals.

Among the flowers (peonies, carnations, lilies...) emerge split fruits, whose juicy bulbs exhibit an overflowing fleshiness, open as if to invite the viewer to the delight of the senses. The treatment of these fruits shows the painter's fascination for plastic effects.

A stone parapet and a fountain with a rounded base contextualize the garden setting that hosts the still life, as well as a light waterfall that slides over some wild rocks. Although the natural environment is barely hinted at, it is clear that the artist is inspired by an idea of an idealized garden, where the vegetable and mineral elements coexist in a harmonious balance.