Francesco Mantovano Recorded in Venice from 1636 - 1663

Relatively little is known about Francesco Mantovano. As his name implies, he almost certainly originated from Mantua, and between 1636 and 1639 was registered as a member of the Painter's Guild in Venice. Other than the Schulenberg Collection, his paintings are rarely recorded in contemporary Venetian inventories, although his still lifes were often mistaken for the work of Mario Nuzzi, whose influence is clearly evident in the present work. The exploded tulip head in this picture appears to be something of a hallmark for the artist, who also had a predilection for depicting overturned blooms. For the attribution, compare with a pair of paintings representing Allegories of Love and Smell, painted by Giulio Carpioni, but with the flower still lifes by Mantovano, in a private collection (reproduced in La natura morta italiana da Caravaggio al settecento, exh. cat., Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, 26 June - 12 Oct. 2003, pp. 240-41); and three flower paintings by the artist in the Pinacoteca dell'Accademia dei Concordi di Rovigo (reproduced in G. and U. Bocchi, Naturaliter, Florence 1998, pp. 395-97, nos. 489-91).