Neapolitan School; first half of the 18th century.

Neapolitan School; first half of the 18th century.
“Still Life.”
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 77 x 60 cm; 89 x 75 cm (frame).
In the foreground, a cut watermelon stands out, revealing its reddish flesh, while behind it stands a lush vase filled with flowers of various species and colors. On the left, the presence of a bird adds dynamism to the scene and helps reinforce the naturalistic character of the depiction. The entire composition is set in an open landscape, where the expansiveness of the surroundings lends depth and luminosity to the work.From a stylistic perspective, the work reflects the Neapolitan school’s penchant for highly decorative still lifes, characterized by meticulous observation of flowers, fruits, and animals.

Highly prized in the antiques market, as well as among collectors and art historians, the Neapolitan Baroque still-life school enjoyed spectacular growth, moving beyond the opulence of the 16th century and evolving into a fully Baroque and clearly identifiable style. Artists such as Tommaso Realfonso, Nicola Casissa, Gaspare López, Giacomo Nani, and Baldassare de Caro continued the local tradition by specializing in the painting of flowers, fruits, fish, and game, thereby satisfying the demand of a vast clientele characterized by a new aesthetic distinctive to the 17th century. To these artists we must also add the lesser-known figures, who are slowly emerging from an unjust oblivion, as well as some artists who worked at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as Francesco della Questa, Aniello Ascione, Nicola Malinconico, Gaetano Cusati, Onofrio Loth, Elena and Nicola Maria Recco, Giuseppe Ruoppolo, and Andrea Belvedere. These Neapolitan still-life painters, who worked during the 17th and early 18th centuries, are known as “i generisti,” and they were significant not only within their own milieu but also—and especially—in Spain, where the development of the genre was clearly marked by Italian influence, specifically by the contribution of the Neapolitan school. Today, this school is considered one of the most prominent in Baroque still life. The hallmark of the Neapolitan Baroque painters was always their strong naturalistic style and warm color palette, dominated by reddish and earthy tones.