Roman School, 18th century, Still Life with Melon and Grapes

Roman school, 18th century

Still Life with Melon and Grapes

Oil on canvas, 56 x 93 cm

With frame 70 x 108

The present still life, for its stylistic composition and coloristic elaboration, harks back to the school of central Italy of the 18th century, in particular the Roman area. It is a painter familiar with the art of the Castelli family, specialized in the genre of still life. There were two brothers: Bartolomeo (also called the Elder) and Giovanni Paolo (called Spadino). The latter had a son: Bartolomeo, called the Younger. In their compositions with bright and shiny colors, as in the present still life, melons or open watermelons and architectural elements are often portrayed.

In this painting, a melon surrounded by peaches, juicy figs and grapes is depicted on the barren ground. In the background we perceive only the base of an architectural element in an indistinct landscape.