Carlo De Tommasi Art

Classical Still Life of Flowers European Artist, 20th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 36 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, Cornwall, England condition: very good a...

This painting is reproduced in the reference book on Roman still life "Pittori di nature morta a Roma - artisti italiani 1630 -1750" by Gianluca and Ulisse Bocchi - Arti Grafiche Castello 2005 (page 250 figure FS5), where it is mentioned as one of the few paintings that can be given with certainty to Giovanni Stanchi. This highly decorative flower garland reveals a very strong Flemish influence, enabling us to attribute it with certainty to Giovanni Stanchi, the eldest of a sibling group of painters active in the production of still lifes in 17th century Rome. Probably painted before 1640, our garland conceals a mystical message beneath its decorative opulence, which we're about to reveal ... 1. Giovanni, Niccolò and Angelo Stanchi, a brotherhood of still-life painters in 17th-century Baroque Rome The three Stanchi brothers, Giovanni (1608 - after 1675), Niccolò (ca. 1623 - 1690) and Angelo (1626 - after 1675) lived and worked together (like the Le Nain brothers), making identification of the different hands perilous. Giovanni Stanchi's name is first mentioned in 1634, in the register of the painters' guild of the "Accademia di San Luca". Paid membership of the painters' guild provided not only a social network, but also commissions from important Roman families. In 1638, Giovanni Stanchi painted a picture for the Barberini family depicting their coat of arms surrounded by flowers. In 1660, he was commissioned by Cardinal Flavio Chigi to decorate a gallery with still lifes of flowers and fruit. The Chigis remained his principal patrons until after 1673. Thereafter, he received commissions from almost every important family in Rome. An invoice dated 1670 identifies Giovanni Stanchi and Mario Nuzzi as the painters responsible for the still lifes that decorated the famous mirrors in Palazzo Colonna. In 1675, Giovanni Stanchi's name appears for the last time in connection with a project in which he was engaged, together with Andries Bosman and the figure painter Ciro Ferri, to decorate the mirrors of the Palazzo Borghese on Campo Marzio. Although all three brothers were active as painters, the records of their commissions always refer to Giovanni, since, as eldest brother, he was responsible for invoices and contracts. Only in a few cases is the name of one of the younger brothers mentioned. Only paintings with a strong Flemish influence dating from the first four decades of the 17th century, such as this one, can be attributed with certainty to Giovanni, as he was the only painter in the family at the time. 2. History of a genre: the flower garland Jan Brueghel the Elder (Brussels 1568 - Antwerp 1625) is credited with inventing the flower garland theme during his stay in Rome in 1592. Such garlands were originally used to surround a religious subject, often a Marian one. This religious scene could sometimes be painted by another artist, as in the painting acquired in 1608 by Cardinal Borromeo, featuring a Madonna (painted by Henry van Balen), surrounded by a garland painted by Jan Brueghel. This theme was taken up and developed in Rome from 1625 onwards by Daniel Seghers, before the young Giovanni Stanchi made it his own, reinforcing its symbolic dimension (to which we shall return) and moving away from the naturalistic approach of Jan Brueghel to develop a certain idealization of each flower, closer to the style of Mario Nuzzi (Rome 1603 - 1673). Giovanni Stanchi's garlands, of which he was the best Italian interpreter in the 17th century, also reveal him to be one of the most faithful to the Flemish tradition. The book by Gianluca and Ulisse Bocchi lists nine still lifes very similar to ours, all executed on a black background (including the one reproduced as the last photo in the gallery, which belongs to the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna). Because of their proximity to Flemish works, they can be attributed with certainty to Giovanni Stanchi. Four of them belong to private collections, while the others are all in public institutions (Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie, Dessau; Galeria del Palazzo Bianco, Genoa; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux; Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna; Palazzo Chigi-Saraceni, Siena). Like those in Flemish still lifes, the flowers depicted by Giovanni Stanchi bloom at different times of the year, ruling out any representation of a real bouquet. Alongside the more traditional flowers of our gardens (roses, tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, irises), it is also interesting to note the frequent inclusion of more exotic flowers such as jasmine and blue bindweed (ipomoea indica), which had been recently introduced to Europe from Mexico. Each flower painted by Giovanni Stanchi seems to have its own individuality, a trait characteristic of Flemish painting, of which Stanchi was the best interpreter in Italy. One could say that Stanchi does not depict garlands of flowers, but flowers in a garland, each with its own identity and specificity, making it unique and different from the others. Captured in a low-angled light that seems to have captured them for eternity, they are drawn with clear, precise lines. As if they had been freshly cut, they emerge from the darkness in geometric figures that reinforce the tactile quality of their representation. One of Giovanni Stanchi's distinctive features is to have substituted the central religious representation traditionally associated with Flemish flower...

Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Oil on canvas. Signed lower right; titled verso. 36.25 x 28.75 in. 44.75 x 37.5 in. (framed) Custom framed...

Profusion of Flowers Dutch School style, late 20th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 36 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, Cornwall, England condition: a few minor su...

Ornamental Still Life with fruit, flowers and birds Italian School, 19th century oil painting on canvas, unframed size: 31.5 x 47 inches condition: relined canvas and in very good and presentable condition provenance: from a collection here in England. A very beautiful and decorative oil painting on a huge scale, depicting this classical landscape scene, with ornamental birds...

Alexandre Jean-Baptiste THEUVENOT (Port-sur-Saône, 1834 – Paris, 1882) Red-breasted Merganser Oil on canvas Signed at the bottom 78 x 56 cm Born in 1884 in Port-sur-Saône (Haute-S...

ADELIN VERLY Brussels 1883-1967 STILL LIFE WITH ROSES Triplex 54 x 54 cm. Signed: lower right 'Adelin Verly' Provenance: Private collection, The Ne...

Follower of Giuseppe Arcimboldo (19th-20th century) - Autumn. 144.5 x 97 cm. Oil painting on canvas transferred to a panel, without frame. - The work is based on the painting by G...

Floral with Urn is in a classical Dutch style that dates to the 17th century. The bright flowers drape the urn in whites, crimsons and pinks, standing out against the darker foliage and flowers on a dark background. The artist is unknown and the age is unknown, but the beauty is unmistakable. Oil on canvas, the petals stand out with brushstrokes heavy with paint. The background paint is rough. In the 17th century paint was mixed with gesso or chalk, with particles forming an uneven surface. This background is in the same style in shades of black and brown. THe painting presents well on canvas stretched over an aged wooden stretcher. The painting has been restored and relined at some point, obscuring the back of the original canvas. The flower colors remain bright. Canvas sight is 30" wide and 50" high. There is no frame. There are small nicks and wear consistent with age. The precise date is unknown but aspects of the work suggest a date later than 19th century, and possibly 17th century that is more typical of this style. Dutch flower still life painting...

Ornate Classical Flowers oil painting on canvas, framed signed and dated 1947 framed: 17.5 x 12.5 inches canvas: 16 x 10.5 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good ...

Artist/School: G. Wabarwick (20th Century), signed Title: Mixed Flowers Classical Still Life Medium: oil on canvas, framed Size: the canvas is 40 x 30 inches; the frame adds anoth...

Ecole hollandaise XIXe, Huile sur toile “Nature morte au panier de fruits” Bon état général malgré un vieillissement du vernis Encadrement simple de baguettes bois peintes Dimensions...