Girl with Flowers and Fruit, Abraham Brueghel (Antwerp 1631 – Naples 1690) workshop of

Abraham Brueghel (Antwerp 1631 – Naples 1690) workshop of
Girl with flowers and fruit
(as Allegory of Summer)
Oil on canvas (80 x 60 cm. – Framed 105 x 85 cm.)
Expertise: Prof. Alberto Cottino
Bibliography: Alberto Cottino, Abraham Brueghel 1631-1697. A Master of Still Life between Antwerp, Rome, and Naples, Etgraphiae, Rome 2022.

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The painting in question, of remarkable quality and artistic quality, depicts a beautiful young woman, portrayed in a graceful pose, wearing an elegantly draped gown with a plunging neckline, her hair held back by a string of pearls, accentuating her beauty. With one hand, she grasps a flowering branch, while with the other, she seems to invite the viewer to admire the opulence of the composition, of flowers and fruit, which she holds close.

Beginning in the mid-17th century, the fashion for these decorative depictions of mythological girls in settings adorned with flowers or fruit quickly spread throughout Italy, but especially in Rome. Beyond their decorative nature, this type of painting presumably also had a symbolic meaning, for example in its connection with flowers and fruit, as a metaphor for feminine beauty and youth.

Another possible meaning of the painting in question, given the woman's beauty and pose, could be an erotic allusion, not unusual even in a culture dominated by the restrictions of the Counter-Reformation.

This is a painting of immediate beauty, capable of combining notable pictorial finesse with a scenic construction capable of satisfying even the most demanding gaze.

The style of the work, with its soft, textured application and bright colors, traces it back to the Roman environment of the second half of the 17th century: as indicated by Professor Alberto Cottino in his study dedicated to the work, the authorship is to be found in a skilled painter from the workshop of the great Flemish still-life painter Abraham Brueghel (Antwerp 1631–1690 Naples), probably under his direct supervision.

The analysis of the stylistic and figurative characteristics, in particular the refined style, well calibrated with Baroque exuberance, as well as the setting with elements of classicist influence, are typical characteristics of Brueghel's creations.

In our case, as indicated by Cottino, the work would be a version (with minimal variations) of the well-known canvas with 'Girl with Flowers and Fruit', executed by Brueghel with the collaboration of the Pistoia painter Luigi Garzi, published in the monograph on Brueghel by the same scholar (Alberto Cottino, Abraham Brueghel 1631-1697. A master of still life between Antwerp, Rome and Naples, Etgraphiae Rome 2022, page 100, no. 46).

The main differences between the two paintings can be found in the slight reduction in size of the painting studied here (the published painting measures 98 x 75 cm) and in a slight discrepancy in the girl's physiognomy, which here presents a slightly more elongated profile.

Indeed, it was common practice in the workshops of seventeenth-century painters to repeatedly reproduce the subjects of their most successful paintings, and Brueghel is certainly no exception. Our example echoes Brueghel's painting, maintaining its elegance and freshness, as well as its fluid execution. Cottino has suggested a possible attribution to his brother and trusted collaborator, Jan Baptist Brueghel (Antwerp 1647 – Rome 1719), who assisted him on the numerous commissions that a highly successful workshop had to complete.

Among the works that we can mention, for comparative purposes, see: the collaboration between Guglielmo Cortese and Abraham Brueghel, the 'Young woman with a putto in a garden with fruit and vegetables' (Private collection, Modena) (1), or the collaboration between Abraham Brueghel and Luigi Garzi, the 'Allegory of Summer, Ceres with a still life of peaches, figs, pomegranates and pumpkin' (2). And again, attributable to Abraham Brueghel alone, we can mention the 'Bunch of flowers held by a vestal virgin' (3).

Source: Zeri Foundation
(1) https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/entry/work/87097/
(2) https://www.dorotheum.com/it/l/4218623/
(3) https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/old-master-and-19th-century-paintings-day-auction-l2503…

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a pleasant frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

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