Aniello Ascione (Napoli, notizie dal 1680 al 1708)

Aniello Ascione (Naples, news from 1680 to 1708) Still life with festoon of flowers and fruits Oil on canvas, 89 x 117 cm - framed 104 x 132 cm. With expertise and attribution study by Prof. Stefano Causa (University of Naples) D21-033 € 14,900 request information "This composition of fruit with a festoon of flowers belongs to the brush of Aniello Ascione and is an important addition to the final round of Neapolitan still life – the most baroque and decorative imaginable. The naturalistic impetus, still Caravaggesque, of the specialists of the early 17th century, from Luca Forte to Porpora, seems like a distant memory. The name of Ascione also comes from a comparison with the signed Still Life of the Civic Museum of Castello Ursini in Catania, compared to which the painting in question qualifies as a sixteenth version. It is not uncommon, moreover, for easily repeatable schemes to recur in the workshops of still life painters. The melon on the right, the pursuit of flowers and, in the background, the profile of a column or fountain. We could compare them to the normalized formal types used by great southern composers such as Alessandro or Domenico Scarlatti (with whom, moreover, we find ourselves more or less in the same time as our painting). Set on a diagonal cut, our painting connects to the Neapolitan climate split between Giordano and Francesco Solimena (also in its links with the contemporary Roman scene of a Michelangelo da Campidoglio and a Spadino). These are the years in which still life rises, so to speak, to the maximum volume of presentation. But let's not anticipate further and get closer. We are faced with a complex work conceived for amateurs willing to slowly make their way with their eyes (and with their sense of smell) between fruits and flowers. Each individual element of the composition is weighed in its individuality and conceived in relation to a large whole. The reading of the painting is triggered by the melon on the right with the jagged rind (a hallmark of the Ruoppolo and a distinctive sign of belonging). Immediately to the side, a carpet of semi-open figs and leaves occupies the foreground of the canvas. The solution of calibrating the fruits diagonally enlivens the composition increasing its depth. The shady, almost earthy quality of the surface decants into the almost obscenely open pomegranate with seeds pecked with light; moving to the right, the fireworks of the bunch of grapes explode (of that particular species which, in the South, is defined as cornicella grapes). The spectacle of the painting could also end here if, in the center of the page, similar to a multicolored hammock, the festoon did not impose itself as a theatrical coup and as one of the beautiful finds of the final season of still life. To use a very abused metaphor, these paintings are a feast for the eyes. On the right in the background, a piece of architecture peeps out, as a tribute, with a fountain that Giordano himself would not have rendered with different fervor. [...] " ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work sold is completed by a pleasant golden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee. We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco