Attributed to The Pseudo-Fardella

A number of paintings were grouped together by Luigi Salerno, Mina Gregori and Federico Zeri under the pseudonym 'The Pseudo-Fardella', an artist whose works are closely related to those of Giacomo Fardella and Simone del Tintore. More recently the artist has been identified as Carlo Torre by Giovanni Godi (see G. Cirillo and G. Godi, Le nature morte del pittore di Carlo Torre (Pseudo Fardella), Parma 1996). This painting shows some affinity with other works given to the Pseudo-Fardella: not only is the style similar, particularly the naturalistic way of painting grapes, but the choice of subject-matter is also characteristic (he particularly liked including wild mushrooms in his still lifes). The rocky setting with mushrooms are directly comparable to a painting ascribed to him in the Gallerie Fiorentine, Florence (reproduced in F. Zeri, La natura morta in Italia, Milan 1989, vol. II, p. 566, fig. 673).