Giuseppe Vicenzino (attr.) - 17th Century Italian Still Life With Flowers, Fruit And Game

This opulent 17th-century Italian still-life captures the abundance and refinement of the Baroque era, presenting a feast for the senses. The composition features an array of ripe, succulent fruits; including a glistening pomegranate, velvety peaches, and plump grapes; arranged alongside freshly hunted game birds. These elements are enveloped by a profusion of vibrant, meticulously rendered flowers, enhancing the scene’s richness and depth.

The painting displays many similarities to the works of Giuseppe Vincenzino, a still-life painter known for his sumptuous arrangements and detailed naturalism. Notably, the pink flower in the lower left corner closely resembles one found in a painting by Vincenzino, which was sold at Christie’s on September 23, 2020 (lot 52), both compositionally as well as in the rendering and handling of the paint. His works often feature a harmonious interplay of color, texture, and light, characteristics that are also evident in this composition.

Giuseppe Vincenzino was a Milanese painter active in the second half of the 17th century, specializing in flower still lifes. Two monumental paintings by him can be found in the Dubini collection in Milan, which were exhibited in La natura morta italiana in Naples in 1964.

It is believed that both Vincenzino and the still-life painter Margherita Caffi studied under the enigmatic Vincenzo Volo, an artist about whom little is known and whose works have not been identified. Since Caffi sometimes signed her works as “Vicenzina,” some scholars speculate that Vincenzino may have been related to her, or that both painters derived their names from their teacher, raising the possibility that “Vincenzino” itself was a pseudonym.

His style, though rooted in the Lombard tradition, also reflects Flemish influences, akin to the work of Abraham Brueghel and the Italian still-life master Mario Nuzzi (also known as Mario de’ Fiori). Vincenzino is known to have had a daughter, Domenica, who followed in his artistic footsteps, as well as a number of pupils who helped popularize his approach.

Literature on the artist:
• Luigi Salerno, Nuovi studi su la natura morta italiana, Rome, 1989.
• La natura morta in Italia, ed. Federico Zeri, Vol. I-II, Milan, 1989 (text by Alessandro Morandotti).
• Settecento Lombardo, Palazzo Reale & Museo della Fabbrica del Duomo, Milan, 1991, pp. 239-240 (biography by Anna Maria Bianchi) [exhibition catalogue].

Dimensions:
Oil on canvas ca. 94 by 66 cms
With very discreet wooden frame