Maestro di Palazzo San Gervasio

MAESTRO DI PALAZZO SAN GERVASIO (active in the first half of the 17th century).
"Vase".
Oil on canvas.
It has frame following models of the twentieth century.
Measurements: 76 x 44 cm; 88,5 x 57 cm (frame).
This painting follows a compositional scheme that was very popular during the baroque period. An example of this is the way of resolving the diversity of flowers of cheerful colors, in which a dense brushstroke of brilliant pigment has been used, the taste of the Italian school is recognizable. The chromatic juiciness of the floral piece advances rococo solutions, which tend to horror vacui. The painter has frozen the moment of maximum maturity of the flower, prior to its decay, although it is true that at the base it can be seen that several petals have fallen, so that the painting acquires an allegorical dimension that predicts the transience of life. The dark background highlights the light of the still life, extracting a wide range of tonalities, as is usual in this type of painting. The way of composing the vase is very reminiscent of the vase in the work "Still life with vases of flowers, fruits, vegetables and dove in flight", attributed to Maestro del Palazzo San Gervasio. Italian painter whose biography is unknown and to whom very few works are attributed.
The still life or still life occupied the lowest rung of the hierarchy of genres in the history of art, however, it became increasingly popular among buyers. In addition to the independent theme of still life, it addressed other types of painting themes by using prominent, usually symbolic, elements and images that were based on a multitude of elements of nature apparently to reproduce a part of life. It is worth noting that within the still life, the representation of flowers, or vases, established itself as a subgenre highly appreciated among collectors, who saw in these paintings the perfect element for the decoration of their extensive properties.