Still Life With Fruit, Roman School of the second half of the 17th century

Michele Pace, known as Michelangelo del Campidoglio (Rome, 1625–1669), Circle of

Still Life with Fruit

Roman School of the second half of the 17th century

oil on canvas (72 x 96 cm. - Framed: 87 x 112 cm.)

FULL DETAILS OF THE PAINTING (CLICK HERE)

This splendid composition, emblematic of Roman Baroque still life from the height of the 17th century, showcases a rich variety of autumn fruits, harvested at the peak of their ripeness.

On the right stands out a halved watermelon, revealing its red flesh and numerous dark seeds, next to pomegranates, which reveal their red, glossy seeds inside.

Next to them is a dense, compact cluster of white grapes, and just below, small black grapes. On the left are ripe figs with velvety skin that have been split open, garlic, and other small berries, followed by a distinctive ribbed pumpkin adorned with dark streaks.

Vine branches complete the scene, topped by a bamboo stalk that crosses the composition diagonally, inserted to lend a sense of depth and perspective to the composition, as well as to evoke a rural setting and the act of harvesting in the open air.

The work is characterized by a marked Caravaggesque use of light, with a completely dark background that allows the raking light to bring out the volumes, the varied textures of the skins, and the vibrant colors of the fruits, lending the entire scene a strong sense of realism and three-dimensionality.

In particular, the characteristics of the work—which, in terms of style and composition, can be unhesitatingly attributed to the Roman school—lead us to identify Michele Pace (Rome, 1625 –1669), a Roman painter known as Michelangelo del Campidoglio, particularly due to the scene’s composition, the exuberant brushwork, and the way the textures of the various types of fruit are rendered.

The absence of signed works by Campidoglio makes it difficult to place his paintings in chronological order: born in Rome, he spent most of his working career there, except for a few brief stays in Naples, where he came into contact with the works of Abraham Brueghel (1631–1690), from whom he clearly drew pictorial motifs.

However, the influence of other masters of the still life genre active in Rome during the same period is evident and explains the difficulties of attribution that scholars often face.

In our case, the painting also clearly reveals stylistic affinities with certain works by two other specialists: the better-known Bartolomeo Castelli the Younger (Rome 1696–1738) and Michelangelo Cerquozzi (Rome 1602–1660). In 17th-century Rome, the attribution of still lifes is in fact complicated by a dense network of collaborations, workshop exchanges, and stylistic affinities among the artists just mentioned.

In this specific case, the distinctive feature of this work—and of the Campidoglio’s stylistic signature—is the presentation of fruit at the peak of its plump, ripe state; for example, the half watermelon on the right and the pomegranates in the center, which are split open from the inside.

This choice is not merely aesthetic (allowing the painter to showcase the juicy pulp and the intricate texture of the black seeds and kernels), but also carries a strong allegorical meaning tied to the concept of Vanitas: the fleeting beauty of nature captured a moment before its inevitable decline.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

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