Heinrich von Valkenburg

A still life of flowers in an urn

German School (18th century) A German Pointer with hunting Equipment Oil on canvas Canvas Size 42 x 35 in Framed Size 48 x 41 in

James Shaw (fl.1769-1784) Still life of fruit and nuts Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 13 1/2 x 17 3/4 in Framed Size - 16 1/4 x 20 1/2 in Born in Sedgley in Staffordshire, it is unclea...

Aniello Ascione (Naples, fl. 1680-1708) A still life of flowers in an urn with a parrot, melon, pomegranates and figs at its base, a view to an ornamental garden beyond Oil on canvas 59 3/4 x 39 3/4 in Provenance The Alexander Family Collection, Milford House, Co. Carlow, Ireland The latter half of the 17th century and earlier 18th century marked the golden age of Neapolitan still-life painting and Aniello Ascione was one of its most highly regarded exponents. His sumptuous paintings, brimming with fecund produce of the Mediterranean and painted in rich colours, were eagerly sought after by those who wished to decorate their palaces in that city. Naples in the seventeenth century had established a significant reputation and artistic tradition of producing flamboyant and technically excellent still-lifes which had largely been initiated by Caravaggio who, having stated that it required as much effort to paint a good flower piece as a figure subject, helped to revolutionise and eventually abolish the closed attitude to genres of painting. Caravaggio maintained that art was the mirror of nature and his superb Basket of Fruit, now in the Ambrosiana in Milan and painted in 1597, marked the birth of European still-life painting. Throughout the 17th century, Neapolitan still-life painting was founded on the principles demonstrated by Caravaggio and these artists seem to have been the only ones to correctly understand and utilise his ideas. These paintings were noted for their vibrant portrayals of flowers, often in great abundance, fruit and birds done in an elegant and decorative manner. Luca Forte (c.1615- c.1670) was one of the first Neapolitan artists to adopt the Caravaggesque naturalism in this genre of painting and with exceptional creativity sweeping through the city in the 1630s, he was soon followed by Paolo Porpora and Guiseppe and Giovanni Battista Recco and the Ruoppolo family. When Abraham Brueghel arrived in Naples in about 1670, his influence accelerated the transition of the portrayal of still-life to a more baroque style often epitomised by a mass of flowers, cascading over classical objects like water. This more baroque style was taken up by a new generation of painters and one of the first and most prominent of these was Andrea Belvedere (1652-c.1732). He taught Nicola Casissa and other artists working in a similar vein included Gasparo Lopez (called Gasparo di Fiori) d. circa 1732, Paolo Porpora (1617-1663) and Nicola Malinconico (1663-1721). The aforementioned Ruoppolo family were also eminent and Giovan Battista Ruoppolo (1619-1693) instructed the young Aniello Ascione. His pupil became one of the most celebrated representatives of Neapolitan Baroque which combined the traditional naturalism favoured by the city with the new 18th century decorative style. This style proved highly popular with the more secular Neapolitan middle classes as well as the aristocracy and royalty to furnish their grand homes. They loved the harmonious colouring and composition suffused with exuberance Ascione became the most prominent still-life painter in Naples at the transition from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. His paintings, which are often of a significant size, utilise intense decorative colours with an abundance of flowers and piles of fruit such as pomegranates, grapes, peaches, pears, melons and plums. Sometimes these spill down stone steps or are draped or stacked with flowers among classical statuary and there is often a view to a landscape or ornamental garden beyond to give the composition depth. Accompanying the fruit and flowers, Ascione occasionally added parrots, dogs or rabbits and he often signed with a monogram comprised of interlocking As although there are some works signed in entirety. His smaller pieces tended to be more intimate in construction with one looking at just different fruits with some of its foliage so that the different hues and skin textures could interact and to some extent, these reflect the legacy of Abraham Brueghel. One very rare piece, now in the Castellino collection in Naples, is a kitchen interior with a skinned lamb which owes its influence to Guiseppe Recco. There is a fine set of the Four Seasons, which also incorporates putti into the compositions and which are believed to have been contributed by Nicola Vaccaro (1659-1720) the son of Andrea Vaccaro...

Francois Bonvin (1817-1887) French Still Life of a Copper Pan and Pewter Jug Oil on Canvas Indistinctly Signed 9.5” x 16” (24 x 40.7cm) Bonvin was bor...

G Gray (Early 19th Century) Still Life of Fruit Oil on panel Signed Painting Size 17.5" x 20" (44.4 x 50.8cm) Framed Size 23 x 26 in

Benjamin Killingbeck (act. 1769-1783) A dark bay racehorse held by his trainer on a racecourse Oil on canvas Canvas Size - 40 x 50 in Framed Size ...

JUAN DE ARELLANO Spanish, 1614 - 1676 Cesta de Flores signed Juan de Arellano (lower lright) oil on canvas original period carved, gilt and polychrome...

This stunning 17th century Dutch Old Master Golden Age floral oil painting is by noted Dutch artist Simon Pietersz Verelst. The full attribution...

"Cassetta" frame in sculpted, carved, gilded wood. Expertise by Gianluca Bocchi.

Oil on panel In the refined strokes of a 17th-century Dutch artist, a captivating still life unfolds, showcasing a meticulous arrangement of culinary delights that transcend the mun...

Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560 - 1627) was one of the most important still life painters in Spain and beyond. He developed a certain type of still life with a ...

This superb vibrant Dutch 18th century Old Master floral oil painting is attributed to circle of Gerard Van Spaendonck. Painted circa 1790, it is a beautiful mixed floral still life flower arrangement in an ornate urn on a marble ledge against a landscape. The flowers include roses, tulips, blue iris and trailing blue morning glory. The carved ornate grey/blue urn on the cream marble ledge create a strong textural contrast with the soft petals and leaves. This is a wonderful example of Dutch 18th century floral oil paintings with fine detail and brushwork. Provenance. Private Collection, UK (by descent). Condition. Oil on canvas, 30 inches by 25 inches unframed and in good condition. Frame. Housed in an ebonised frame, 39 by 34 inches framed and in good condition. Gerard van Spaendonck (1746-1822) was a Dutch painter. Gerard was born in Tilburg, an older brother of Cornelis van Spaendonck...