Attributed to Andrea del Belvedere

Attributed to ANDREA DEL BELVEDERE (Italy, ca. 1652-1732).
"Still life."
Oil on canvas.
Presents restorations.
It has a frame of the early eighteenth century.
Measurements; 94 x 130 cm; 112 x 148 cm (frame).
In this exuberant still life, Andrea del Belvedere displays all the virtuosity of the Neapolitan school in a composition that is, at the same time, sensorial and baroque artifice. The scene opens like a natural theater: in the foreground, a cascade of golden grapes, open pomegranates, watermelons, figs and apples spill over the composition with an almost palpable tactile quality. The flowers; roses, tulips and small wild bouquets, are outlined between light and shadow, while the metallic sheens of the containers and the smoothness of the fruits intensify the effect of opulence.
The chiaroscuro, of marked tenebrist imprint, envelops the composition in a warm and deep atmosphere. The fiery reds of the watermelon and pomegranate, the amber of the grapes and the somber greens of the foliage emerge strongly from the dark background, creating a dramatic contrast that guides the eye and adds dynamism to the whole. It is not a simple accumulation of objects: everything flows in diagonals and curves that lead towards the scenographic center of the painting. In the background, as if it were a secret garden, we can glimpse a classical architecture with a sculpture and a fountain, a nod to antiquity that elevates the still life beyond the domestic. This resource, so characteristic of Belvedere, introduces spatial depth and a dialogue between nature and art.
Andrea del Belvedere was a Neapolitan painter who specialized in still life painting, mainly of flowers. He was the last representative of the so-called "Neapolitan still life school", one of the most important still life schools, highly appreciated in the antiquarian market, as well as among collectors and art historians. Little is known about Andrea de Belvedere's life. It is believed that he trained with Paolo Porpora and Giovanni Battista Ruoppolo. By Nordic influence he introduced greater complexity in his compositions, sometimes arranging his floral bouquets in front of rocky landscapes with animals or children's figures. His success took him to the Spanish court called by Luca Giordano, where he remained from 1694 to 1700. The Prado Museum and the Royal Palace of El Prado keep his work in their collections.