Roman school, second half of the 17th century, Composition with lemons and puppy

Roman school, second half of the 17th century Composition with lemons and puppy Oil on canvas, cm 97.5 x 74.5 Framed, cm 120 x 95 The work we are describing here can be framed within the still life style that flourished in Rome during the seventeenth century, involving both Italian artists and foreign painters, particularly French and Flemish ones, who came to the city in search of rich commissions and artistic novelties to learn and enhance their skills. The names that come closest to this work are those of Pier Francesco Cittadini (1616-1681) and Francesco Noletti, known as il Maltese, but for a long time also known as Fieravino (1611-1654). Originally from Milan the first and from Malta the second, both found themselves working in Rome, where they ventured into the genre of still life, achieving great success both in terms of commissions and in terms of followers and imitators. Cittadini had previously had other experiences: first a pupil of Daniele Crespi in Milan and then of Guido Reni in Bologna, he approached still life with greater determination only once he arrived in Rome, where he had the opportunity to meet the French artists who practiced this particular genre. Noletti, on the other hand, who came directly to Rome from the small island of Malta, which earned him the nickname il Maltese, was more focused and detached from other genres. He immediately distinguished himself, even among the Nordic artists, as demonstrated by the engravings of Jacques Coelemans and the reproductions of Jacques Hupin, for the high lenticular quality of his works, in particular in the rendering of the fabrics of Turkish carpets that constantly appear in his canvases, similarly to the one disorderly resting on the raised surface. Continuing with the similarities, we find the presence of the metal tray with fruit, apples and lemons, but above all the metal vase at the foot of the scene; these elements, capable of enhancing the reflections of light in the dark setting, are typical of Noletti's still lifes, while the presence of the puppy, or, in general, an animal element, is rare, which instead we find in many works by Cittadini. The space behind is not particularly bright, but it shows itself open through an arch that frames a corner of cloudy sky; this breath towards the open as well as the same description of the architectural elements that surround the room are also elements that appear quite absent in the production of the Maltese artist, but which are found in Cittadini: an example is the canvas kept at the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Trieste, or that of the Galleria Estense in Modena, where we can also note the animal presence in the cat that attacks the cage containing a bird. The game, therefore, is played between different peculiarities, coexisting and arising in the same city but from two different artists who, however, were able to identify a certain commonality in the figurative choices of this genre; this work combines the analytical texture of the oriental carpet and the precious reverberation of the metal with the greater airiness of the background and the dynamic presence of the puppy, demonstrating the ability to reconcile the choices of two artists who left a huge mark in the history of Roman still life and beyond.