(Rome 1586–1659)
Grapes in a basket, melons, pomegranates, apples and figs on a wooden table,
oil on canvas, 116 x 189.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private European collection

We are grateful to Gianluca Bocchi for confirming the attribution of the present painting on the basis of a photograph.

The present painting shows an abundance and rich variety of fruits including red and white grapes in a basket, melons, cherries, pomegranates, apples, quinces and figs arranged on fig leaves on a wooden table in front of a monochromatic dark background. The composition is illuminated by a light source coming in from the front, creating a dramatic play between light and shadow and thereby enhancing the different textures. The linear arrangement is balanced by the leaves expanding vertically into the pictorial space.

This still-life is representative of Verrochi’s style, with a clear uniformity in his works. The same compositional techniques and iconographical motifs recur, for example, the split melon and the delicately rendered modelling on the grapes, both of which are seen here in the present painting.  

Little is known of the life of Agostino Verrocchi, who was probably active in Rome and Naples during the second quarter of the 17th century. The artist’s activity as a painter of still lifes probably evolved over an extended period, rendering the artist a trait d’union between the first generation of specialists in this field linked to the naturalistic models of Caravaggio or the Master of Hartford, and Michelangelo Cerquozzi, who some scholars have referred to as a student or a close follower of Verrocchio. His works therefore demonstrate an analytical presentation of individual elements, often placed symmetrically in relation to the central axis, and a proto-baroque decorative taste.