FIORANTE MASTER FROM THE 17TH CENTURY
A pair of octagonal flower vases
oil on canvas, cm 98×78
From the beginning of the 17th century, after the revolution started by Caravaggio and the affirmation of the “quadrerie” (when paintings are placed on the wall, in order to fill it completely, often in specifically designed galleries), artistic genres – landscapes, battles and, of course, still lives – witnessed a growing and unstoppable popularity. With regards to still lives, there were artists who even specialized in different subjects, and sometimes founded actual local schools: one in Naples dedicated to the portrayal of fish, one in Lombardy dedicated to musical instruments, and so on.
The particularly decorative depiction of flower vases, and extremely dear to the Baroque sensibility, spread all over the Peninsula, reaching its highest popularity with artists like Bartolomeo Bimbi in Tuscany and Mario “dei Fiori” in Rome.
The two lovely octagonal vases here presented, whose geographical origin is hard to determine, are clearly inspired by the opulent compositional inventions of the great maestros of the Baroque, which are here echoed by a rather simple palette and undulant details that emphasize its candor and spontaneity.