From a private Milanese collection a large 17th century oil on canvas painting depicting a vanitas scene with death, a memento mori inspired to the work by Giovanni Martinelli, the socalled Giovanni da Montevarchi, born in Montevarchi, Tuscani 1600-1659, exposed in New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana, United States of America.
The macabre banquet portrays four figures with beatiful jewellery and clothing, seated around a table with a white tablecloth set with pewter plates and risers with fruit, pears and plums. The convivial atmosphere is suddenly disturbed by the appearance of death, on the right of the composition, depicted by a skeleton holding a cartouche with the inscription est hora, facing the man seated on the right side of the table.
The painting was restored arond 1990s, it is in good condition. Lined with a new wooden stretcher. It dates back to the second half of the 17th century and is set in a modern oak frame with gold profile and a brass plate attributing it to Carlo Cane.