Roman School, 17th Century

This beautifully preserved seventeenth-century still life features a bountiful assortment of fruits and vegetables. Rendered with painterly panache, a pair of celery stalks, a braided wicker basket of apples, split pomegranates, figs, melons, and grapes are arrayed atop a stone ledge across which runs a classical frieze. The sheen of the ripe fruit's rich colors contrasts with the matte appearance of the cool gray background, underscoring the work's materiality. Connotating imperishability, the slate support imbues the image with a certain gravitas, an effect charmingly counterbalanced by the two butterflies who flit across the scene. 

A note on the provenance

Giuseppe Rondanini was an important Roman art collector and antiquary. A friend of Johann Joachim Winkelmann, the Marquess amassed an especially important sculpture collection that included Michelangelo's Pieta (Milan, Castello Sforzesco).